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 Morton starring 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.
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 recognition when 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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
15 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Nicola Walker's brutal admission about marriage as she says 'it's not the most romantic'
Nicola Walker is back for a brand new series of Annika on BBC One - but what do we really know about the actress and her personal life when the camera's aren't rolling? Nicola Walker is about to return to the lead role in BBC crime drama Annika, which is already dubbed "as good as detective series gets". Nicola will reprise her role as the titular star Annika Strandhed, a detective inspector working in the Glasgow homicide team and tasked with solving some of the most unfathomable murders to ever wash up on Scottish shores. Annika is loosely based on the hit Radio 4 comedy drama of the same name, with the popular programme first airing in 2021 on UKTV channel Alibi. It wasn't until two years later that BBC added the detective series to its own prime time viewing schedule. Season two is now gearing up to launch on the BBC with the hotly anticipated series being broadcast at 9:10pm with Annika ready to investigate further grisly murders in Scottish waters. An official synopsis for the brand new season reads: "The team are challenged as their dynamics shift, pushing them to rapidly adapt as they encounter murders more complex than ever before. The crimes take them to new landscapes, showing multiple sides of Scotland from the Hebridean Isles to the vibrant capital city, Edinburgh. "Meanwhile, Annika balances a family dynamic that grows more complicated as long-held secrets from the past begin to impact her relationships. As always, Annika breaks the fourth wall, sharing her wry and humorous observations through a literary lens, alongside raising her brilliant yet complex teenage daughter, Morgan." After the news that season two had been green lit for a second series, Nicola told the BBC: "We are all looking forward to fighting crime on sea and land with the MHU for a second series and there are secrets closer to home for Annika that will have to be faced. It's going to be a bumpy ride!" Away from the screen, Nicola is married to Barnaby Kay with their relationship formed based on pragmatic considerations rather than romantic ideals, reports the Express. Both having lost a parent at a young age, the couple chose to tie the knot for legal security after welcoming their son, as Nicola candidly shared with Radio Times: "Me and my husband, because we both lost a parent young, we thought, after we had a child, we ought to get married, in case one of us dies, so that the legalities are clear." She acknowledges that matrimony wasn't something she would have pursued without these practical considerations: "Which is not the most romantic reason to get married but is probably the only thing that would have got me to sign a piece of paper." Nicola and Barnaby's romance started in 1994 during filming of The Libertine, eventually leading to marriage and welcoming their son, Harry. In a frank discussion, the actress compared marriage to "going to work". "Putting on a lovely dress and make-up, learning lines, someone doing your hair ... I can see that would be really appealing if you don't do it for a living," she revealed. Annika season 2 is set to air tonight (August 2) at 9:10pm, on BBC One.
Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
Daniel Craig's best James Bond movie is available to stream on ITV now
A James Bond movie starring Daniel Craig that has been described as the most 'visually stunning' in the franchise is now available to stream on a major UK platform. In what is a huge win for devoted 007 fans, Skyfall has arrived on ITVX more than a decade after its release in 2012. Starring Javier Barden, Judie Dench and Ralph Fiennes, the thriller was a smash hit amongst fans and critics. It was also the third of Craig's performances, directed by Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes, who is known for 1917 and American Beauty, and shot by Roger Deakins. Taking to social media, @CinemaTweets1 said: 'Javier Bardem's performance as Raoul Silva is my favorite James Bond villain ever. Skyfall honestly feels like a stand-alone film or outlier from the rest of the Bond series given the creative decisions made by Sam Mendes. Bardem is also a big reason- he's a worthy adversary.' @BestMovieMom added: 'Skyfall will remain the most visually stunning James Bond film for a long time.' @Danimalish also said: 'Whenever I watch SKYFALL I'm convinced I'm watching the best James Bond film. 'From Daniel Craig's steely performance to the incredible supporting cast including Judi Dench, to of course Roger Deakins' immaculate cinematography. This was the peak of the Daniel Craig era.' Meanwhile, @TheCinesthetic wrote: 'As the third film in Craig's run, Skyfall isn't just a great Bond film…it's a visual triumph. Roger Deakins turned espionage into art.' The film follows Bond as he pursues an assassin in Istanbul to retrieve a stolen list containing the identities of undercover agents. However, the plan goes disastrously wrong, leaving Chief M (Dench) forced to take drastic action. The espionage thriller was nominated for five Oscars and went on to claim two of them for Best Sound Editing and Best Original Song, which was given to Adele. Its move on to ITVX comes as ITV dropped all episodes of a gripping crime thriller that fans hailed as 'phenomenal'. The tense eight-episode drama, Under the Bridge, has finally landed on ITV for viewers to watch for free in the UK, and you are in for an emotional rollercoaster. The 2024 series stars Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone opposite Daisy Jones and the Six actor Riley Keough. More Trending Elsewhere in the James Bond universe, Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight was named as the screenwriter for the latest Bond film. Amazon MGM onfirmed on social media on Thursday night that Knight will pen the script for the next instalment. The announcement follows an intensive search by Amazon MGM, which gained full creative control of the Bond series earlier this year from Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. Skyfall is available to watch on ITVX. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Steven Knight's 7 best TV shows after Peaky Blinders creator joins James Bond MORE: British James Bond contender rules himself out as 'too messy' for all-consuming role MORE: Trump attempts Sean Connery impersonation after opening new golf course
Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
My mum produced a porn film - all I remember is her tears
Arriving home from university to find my strict South Asian mother watching pornography felt like one of those 'I bet you're wondering how I got here' record-scratch moments. Surrounded by a Channel 4 film crew and bright lights, my mother, Jane, was red-faced while watching a threesome and listening to a cacophony of moans. She was doing it for a three-part series called Mums Make Porn in 2019, which followed five mothers producing porn they'd feel comfortable having their adult children watch. They faced explicit videos, sex toys and live-action porn sets. The aim was to tackle the misogyny and exploitation rampant in mainstream porn and challenge its male-dominated narratives. My mother was invited to be a part of the series after the production company approached her on social media. I was astonished that she agreed, but when she asked me if I approved, my curiosity got the better of me and, with some trepidation – Mum had never even seen 50 Shades of Grey, let alone porn – I said yes. Inwardly, I hoped that her participation in the show might lead to more open conversations about sex between us – she was about to be slapped in the face with the cultural gap that I had been navigating for years. Growing up, the only discussions that Mum and I had about sex were her bi-annual missions of barging into my room to proclaim, 'I hope you're still a virgin?' X Factor icon Diana Vickers and Metro's dating expert Alice Giddings dive into your wildest sex, love, and dating dilemmas – every Tuesday. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or watch on YouTube. And be sure to follow and subscribe so you never miss an episode. You can also join the fun on our WhatsApp Group Chat here – share your dilemmas and Diana and Alice may just give you a call. My values towards sex and relationships had developed through exposure to both Western openness and the respect-driven nature of my religious, South Asian upbringing. I had British friends who would have conversations with their mothers about starting contraception, while I faced grave trouble for kissing a boy on my 15th birthday. At school, I was bullied for parroting strict beliefs in sex education class, like not losing my virginity before 21. I never dared make such a proclamation again. One of the scenes Mum and I filmed for the show together involved her asking me whether I knew about threesomes, if I had friends who had tried anal sex, and if I had ever seen a porn movie before. I answered each with a dryly amused 'no'. The truth was, I had friends who had done these things, and this could have been a breakthrough moment for us. However, I could see how deeply my mother was struggling with the experience. Not only was she confronted with hordes of sex toys, but the blasé attitudes of porn directors and, eventually, a live porn set where she witnessed porn actors having sex, which caused one of the other mums to vomit. My mother came home dismayed. She started to have lengthy conversations with me about her inability to align her South Asian morals with what she was seeing. She was doing what I'd spent my whole life doing, navigating the differences in culture. I had learned to deal with it from a young age but I could sense her fear and sadness and that only evoked my compassion. Rather than wishing I could talk more to my mum about sex, I felt deeply sympathetic for her. I couldn't face upsetting her further by bringing the topic up again. Everything came to a head when my mother ultimately decided she couldn't align her values with producing a porn film and tearfully made the decision to drop out of the show. She faced backlash for this online. People mocked her, with many asking why she even bothered to do the show in the first place. When the show was broadcast, I watched scenes of my mother on the set of a live pornography shoot, and they should have been funny; instead, I felt annoyed that viewers wouldn't understand how much of her existing cultural beliefs she had overcome to be there. The image of my mother crying stays with me. In late 2024, my mother celebrated the fifth anniversary of Mums Make Porn at an event. Mum felt happy to see the cast and was warmly greeted, but she had no regrets about leaving the show and her views on porn haven't changed – she still finds it incompatible with her own moral compass. Five years on, my mother and I are stuck in the same dynamic we have always been when it comes to talking about sex and porn. More Trending We have still never really addressed the topic head-on, and I pretend to go to the toilet when there is a sex scene in a movie that we watch together. Ultimately, conversations about sex with parents are uncomfortable in any culture, and they take time and patience, especially when they involve bridging generational and cultural divides. Perhaps the next generation – and any future children I may have – will be better able to retain cultural traditions while exploring more liberal ideas. View More » Until then, I am proud of my mum for standing strong in her morality, and I am touched by her courageous efforts to step out of her cultural comfort zone. Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing Share your views in the comments below. MORE: I've given up looking for full-time work after being repeatedly ghosted MORE: I turned to ChatGPT to explain why my date went so wrong MORE: I told my husband 'we're over' after carrying the mental load alone
