Revealed: How Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan, 37, met her toyboy lover Jake Dunn, 24
Being on a dating app as one of the world’s most recognisable women is far from ideal.
That’s why Nicola Coughlan left it up to her Derry Girls co-star and close friend, Louisa Harland, to play cupid when it came to her love life and set her up with someone.
And Louisa, 31, hit the bullseye after she introduced the Bridgerton actress, 37, to her best friend and Renegade Nell co-star, Jake Dunn.
After months of hiding the budding relationship, Nicola and Jake, 24, finally confirmed their romance on Wednesday night after they were spotted returning home hand-in-hand from a pub trip in North London.
Friends of the couple told MailOnline: ‘They’re absolutely besotted with each other and have so much fun together. Despite their busy schedules, they’ve slotted into each other’s lives so easily as they share such a big group of mutual friends.’
Nicola Coughlan and Jake Dunn finally confirmed their romance on Wednesday night after they were spotted returning home hand-in-hand from a pub trip in North London
Nicola was spotted snuggling up to the Renegade Nell star as they walked home together
Jake, who graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama last year, has appeared in projects opposite Nicola’s Derry Girls co-stars Louisa Harland and Dylan Llewellyn, 32.
Like Nicola, the London-born actor has also starred in a period drama, Disney’s Renegade Nell, opposite Louisa.
The source added: ‘When Derry Girls ended Nicola, Dylan and Louisa remained the best of friends and always supported each other in their careers so it made sense Nicola met Jake.’
While still at drama school, Jake was booked on for the Channel 4 Big Boys opposite Dylan and was written by Jack Rooke who is a close friend of Nicola’s.
The gang of friends are big supporters of each other’s work and are often spotted hanging out in North West London where Nicola has a house in the trendy Stoke Newington area.
In September, Jake posted an Instagram of Jack, 31, in a pub wearing a baseball cap which read Nicola Coughlan, matched with a t-shirt which read: ‘And her perfect breasts.’
Louisa was also pictured wearing a baseball cap which read, ‘Shady Whistledown’ a nod to Jake’s girlfriend’s character in Bridgerton, Penelope Featherington, being the mysterious Lady Whistledown.
Nicola and Jake pictured with their arms round each other as they walked home for the pub
The couple were photographed holding hands as they went on a cosy date in an Irish bar
Nicola’s character in the hit Netflix series Bridgerton is Penelope Featherington, who is unmasked as being the mysterious Lady Whistledown
The pair were first spotted together as far back as March when posing for an Instagram story shared by one of Jake’s co-stars in Renegade Nell.
In August the pair were seen at London’s All Points East festival with their arms wrapped around each other dancing, but their relationship was not confirmed.
MailOnline can reveal the couple have enjoyed a summer with their network of close friends attending festivals, drinking Guinness and playing Scrabble at Nicola’s local pub in Stoke Newington.
Two weeks ago the couple were spotted in New York at a taping of the late-night comedy show, SNL, and one onlooker said: ‘Her boyfriend stood by her side proudly while people kept coming up fan girling.’
While the 37-year-old Irish actress from Galway has been on the acting circuit for over ten years, finding her big break in the Channel 4 show Derry Girls, Jake is fresh out of drama school.
But the handsome British actor bagged the lead role in a Disney series, Renegade Nell, with a second series commissioned around him, several stage shows, a Netflix series and a feature film – all while still at drama school.
As a rising star in the industry, Jake boasts a slew of famous friends including the likes of The Trial of Christine Keeler’s Ellie Bamber and Sex Education’s Connor Swindell.
