Bridgerton star asked to be 'very naked’ in new series for one specific reason

Bridgerton and baring skin go hand-in-hand.

The Netflix show has been a smash hit with audiences, thanks to its gorgeous costumes, engaging romances and beautiful period locations.

Oh, and its saucy sex scenes haven't hurt streaming figures either.

Nicola Coughlan is the latest Bridgerton star to film 'very naked' (her words) and she had a specific reason for doing so.

Coughlan, who plays Penelope Featherington, has been on the show since its first season in 2020.

Nicola Coughlan has opened up about her decision to go nude in Bridgerton. (Netflix)

Season three, which is being released in two parts, will see her engage in some on-screen romps with Colin Bridgerton, played by Luke Newton.

Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, Coughlan opened up about how she felt to go naked.

She said: "By the end of the day, we were both lying under a blanket, not clothed, just chillin'. We were like, 'This is why nudists do it.'"

In another piece published by Stylist, the 37-year-old explained her motivation.

Reflecting on working with the show's intimacy coordinator, the Derry Girls star recalled: "You go, 'Ok, what do I want to show? What don’t I want to show? What’s scripted, and what do I want to add?'

Fans have been transfixed by the romantic - and saucier - moments of Bridgerton. (Netflix)

"I specifically asked for certain lines and moments to be included. There’s one scene where I’m very naked on camera, and that was my idea, my choice.

"It just felt like the biggest ‘f**k you’ to all the conversation surrounding my body; it was amazingly empowering.

"I felt beautiful in the moment, and I thought: 'When I’m 80, I want to look back on this and remember how f**king hot I looked!'"

This isn't the first time that the actress has addressed trolls' comments about her weight.

In 2022, she shared an Instagram post that read: "If you have an opinion about my body please, please don’t share it with me… It’s really hard to take the weight of thousands of opinions on how you look being sent directly to you every day."

Nicola Coughlan and her co-star Luke Newton are at the centre of this season of Bridgerton. (Instagram/@nicolacoughlan)

Speaking to The Irish Times, she said: "All I care about is the work. Bodies change, if I lose weight or gain weight or I do anything it’s no one’s business, all I care about is doing good acting and being judged on that."

Although she's happy to bare skin for her work, Coughlan had a specific request written into her contract.

Namely, that Netflix produce a PG edit so her parents could watch the show without seeing her nude.

Explaining the decision, Coughlan said: "It’s literally written into my contract. People think I’m saying it as a joke. I just don’t want to … We grew up Irish Catholic. That’s just not how we vibe."

The first part of Brigderton's third season is now streaming on Netflix.