The Truth About The Bridgerton Behind The Scenes Wardrobe Mishap

Fans of the hit Netflix show Bridgerton love getting to know the stars behind their favorite characters, especially the beloved Nicola Coughlan. Although the actress plays a teen as Penelope Featherington in Bridgerton, and also in her role on Derry Girls, Coughlan is actually in her thirties.

As for what keeps her looking so youthful, Coughlan chalks up her complexion to good genes and bubbly spirits. "My mum looks really young for her age," she told The Guardian in December 2020, while sharing her secrets to the fountain of youth. "Maybe, drink a lot of water? And then, I'm like, wine is alcohol, and alcohol's a preservative, and I love prosecco, sooo ... maybe that's it?!"

While Coughlan's glow set herself apart from other experienced actors, her small physique proved problematic behind the scenes of Bridgerton — resulting in pandemonium in the wardrobe department, literally. "Unfortunately, there was a stabbing on the first day and I was guilty, it was not good," Coughlan said of her fashion faux pas on The Kelly Clarkson Show. How does a wardrobe malfunction lead to a stabbing? Keep scrolling for more details.

During Nicola Coughlan's first day on the steamy set of Bridgerton, the actress found herself in an awkward situation when the wardrobe department tried to add some height to her look. 

"So, it was my first day on set and it's quite terrifying getting a big Shondaland Netflix job, you think, 'I just don't want to screw this up,'" the actress recalled during an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show. "So they said to me, 'You're very tiny, let's put you in heels,'" Coughlan was game. However, "It became evident pretty quickly that with the corset and the heels my balance was not so amazing."

Coughlan said she fell three times while in costume for the first time. "The third time I was holding a parasol, which in the wrong hands is a deadly weapon," she said. "And I fell forward and stabbed Claudia Jessie, who plays Eloise Bridgerton, in the hand and she just started bleeding." Talk about a domino effect! Luckily, the actress assured the audience that she and her castmate remained on good terms after the accident. "She's still my friend!" 

Moral of the story: don't mess with high heels and screw corsets.