Nicola Coughlan slammed people who called her ‘brave as a plus-sized woman’ for baring all in Bridgerton as she graced the cover of TIME magazine.
The Derry Girls star, Nicola Coughlan 37, is one of TIME’s Next Generation Leaders with the publication describing her as ‘TV’s breath of fresh air’.
Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, Nicola Coughlan gushed over the honour as she shared a selection of snaps from a glamorous photo shoot.
‘So overwhelming, such an honour, thank you @time for having me on your cover (!!!)’ she wrote.
But in her interview for the magazine, Nicola touched on how despite being a few sizes below the female average she is called a ‘plus-sized- heroine’ – and urged fans not to call her ‘brave’ for getting naked on screen.
‘Don’t call me brave,’ she said. ‘I have a cracking pair of boobs – there’s nothing brave about that, that’s actually just me showing them off.’
The third season of Brigderton saw Nicola Coughlan bare all in some seriously raunchy sex scenes with co-star Luke Newton.
She has regularly spoken out against claims she is ‘brave’ for doing so as a result of her body type.
In her new interview, Nicola Coughlan criticised the emphasis placed on her size and shape and asked: ‘What if I was suddenly going to play a ballerina and lose a sh-t ton of weight, are you not going to like me anymore?’
‘That’s insane and so insulting,’ she added.
Nicola went on to say that she did not enjoy how fans focused so much on what she looked like during the promotion for the latest season of the Netflix series, calling the comments ‘reductive and boring’.
It’s not the first time Nicola has spoken out against the ‘plus-size’ rhetoric surrounding her role in Bridgerton.
During a Q&A in Dublin about the new series earlier this year, a female journalist commented that she was ‘very brave’ to play the role of Penelope Featherington – which some fans branded a ‘backhanded comment’.
In a video captured by Goss.ie, Nicola brilliantly responded saying: ‘You know, it is hard because I think women with my body type – women with perfect breasts – we don’t get to see ourselves onscreen enough!’
‘And I’m very proud as a member of the perfect breasts community. I hope you enjoy seeing them
Fans of the star were quick to respond to the moment that has begun circulating on social media as they said: ‘It must have been one of those insulting, backhanded comments. Nicola’s clever!’