Nicola Coughlan addresses rumours she's dating Bridgerton co-star

Nicola Coughlan has confronted rumours that she is dating her Bridgerton co-star Luke Newton.

The 37-year-old Irish actress takes centre stage of the hit Netflix show's third season as her character's romance with Luke's Colin Bridgerton is the focal point of the drama.

Fans of the Regency Era show have become convinced that Nicola and 31-year-old Luke are an item off-screen due to their close friendship.

But addressing speculation she and Luke are more than just friends, Nicola brushed off the rumours, telling Extra, "We think it's really sweet, I think because we truly love each other."

Stressing that the love is strictly plutonic, however, Nicola continued, "He is a really special person in my life, and I got to do this experience with him."

She added, "I'll never get to do something like this again, on this scale... It's so nice having such a lovely friend that I can do all this with."

The third season of Bridgerton has been split into two halves, with the first batch of four episodes set to hit the streaming service on Thursday 16 May.

The final four episodes of the season will then be available to stream less than one month later, arriving on Thursday 13 June.

The smash show has already been recommissioned for a fourth season, while Netflix's Chief Content Officer, Bela Bajaria, said in January 2021, "We're planning to be in the Bridgerton business for a long time to come."