Heartbreaking Channel 4 drama to return after three years with Derry Girls star

Derry Girls' Nicola Coughlan will star in the return of BAFTA-winning series I am the show's three-year absence was ended.

The popular female-led series has been given the green light for a fourth season, with Nicola set to star opposite Peaky Blinders' Joe Cole. Previously, Vicky McClure has appeared in I Am Nicola, with Samantha Mortonstarring in I Am Kirsty and Kate Winslet wowing in I Am Ruth.

Acclaimed filmmaker Dominic Savage is heading up the show, which is being produced by Emmy-winning Me+You Productions. It return with I Am Helen, a two-parter comprising of hour-long instalments and Nicola, Penelope Featherington in the Netflix drama Bridgerton, is excited that it is her turn next.

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She said: “It’s an absolute honour to be part of telling the next I Am… story alongside Dominic Savage — a singular talent and a storyteller deeply committed to exploring the breadth of the female experience. To follow in the footsteps of the brilliant women who’ve collaborated with him on this series feels truly surreal, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be embarking on this journey.”

Gemma Boswell, Commissioning Editor, Channel 4 Drama at Channel 4, said: “We are delighted to welcome back Dominic Savage alongside the supremely talented Nicola Coughlan in I AM HELEN. The I AM series is a powerful and timely portrait of our times, and we are thrilled to have the powerhouse combination of Dominic and Nicola to tell such a distinctive and impactful story.”

Krishnendu Majumdar and Richard Yee of Me+You Productions, said: “It’s a genuine privilege to continue our creative relationship with Dominic Savage, one of the most brilliant and uniquely talented filmmakers today and to be working with Nicola Coughlan, one of the standout performers of her generation. Their collaboration on this two-part instalment of I Am promises to be something truly special, and we're deeply grateful to Channel 4 for their continued support and belief in this powerful series.”

Nicola rose to fame for her eccentric and comedic role as Clare Devlin in Derry Girls, which she joined in 2018. Clare is the voice of reason in her friendship group and is intelligent and studious, often being more intimidated by her friends than by authority figures. She came out as lesbian as the end of season one.

The show follows five teenagers living in mid-1990s Derry while attending Our Lady Immaculate College, a fictional girls' Catholic secondary school. The first series became the most-watched series in Northern Ireland and was followed up by two more series on Channel 4.

She gained even more recognitionwhen she joined Bridgerton, which premiered in December 2020. She plays the fan-favorite character Penelope Featherington, who is Lady Whistledown.

In Bridgerton, each season focuses on a different love story. The first season followed Daphne Bridgerton (played by Phoebe Dynevor), while the second focussed on her brother Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) as he courted Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley).

Season three, however, shined the spotlight on Nicola’s character, Penelope, allowing fans to see more of her talent. On the show, Nicola plays the youngest daughter of a nouveau-riche family in the Regency era in London and has since become a fan-favourite.

Outside of work, Nicola has been notoriously quiet about her love life but has been linked to fellow actor Jake Dunn as of August 2024. The pair were spotted in October enjoying a stroll in London on a cosy date night out as well as many other occasions.

Fans had also speculated she was dating her Bridgerton co-star and on-screen love interest Luke Newton (who plays Colin Bridgerton) after the two held hands at the season three launch event. However, she shut down rumours as she said they are strictly friends and nothing more than that.

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