With Joy in her heart
From Bridgerton to the Doctor Who Christmas special, Nicola Coughlan has had a magical year
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- Huw Fullerton
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You starred in the comedy drama Big Mood, stole the show in Bridgerton and now join the Doctor for his festive adventure — are you exhausted?
It’s been amazing. It’s been the busiest year of my life – I think we went to eight different countries on the Bridgerton press tour – but in a really lovely way, with two shows I’m so proud of. And it feels really nice to end the year with Doctor Who. I’m getting to sit down with my family at Christmas to watch it. Very few things I do are actually family-friendly, so it’s really lovely to have one!
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What else do you enjoy watching at Christmas?
I really love Little Women, and I will watch both of the recent movies. I’ll start with the 1994 one, because I grew up with that. My plan is to have it on when I’m doing the tree, which I haven’t done yet, because I like a real tree and I don’t want it to collapse on me and look very, very sad by Christmas Day.
What are your own Christmas traditions?
There’s always bartering between me, my mum and my sister about who’s going to cook what part of the Christmas dinner. I like to cook, and I’m a bit of a control freak, so it’s all three of us arguing about who’s going to do the potatoes. I also love making little canapés for Christmas Day. Christmas foods are some of my favourite things. I’m going to have a Christmas with friends soon, and get everyone to bring a dish.
Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington, Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton in Bridgerton. Netflix
Speaking of old friends, do you keep in touch with the Derry Girls gang?
Louisa Harland and I talk all the time – she was at my house the other day. But otherwise everyone’s been so busy! I actually have a bottle of champagne that we were given on the wrap of series one, and I keep saying I’m going to have them all around for dinner, and we’re going to toast Siobhán McSweeney’s Bafta win. It’s so long overdue.
It's lovely to do something I can actually watch with my family!
How does it feel that now, for the rest of time, some Whovians will only ever want to discuss Doctor Who?
I didn’t grow up with Doctor Who. In my house in Ireland, we only had the two Irish channels, no BBC, so it wasn’t in my day-to-day. When they asked me, I was super-keen. But when I tried to do the research, I thought “Oh my God… this is a full universe!” I was kind of overwhelmed. But then I thought the thing to do would be just try to do my best acting and hopefully make the Who fans happy!
Ncuti Gatwa and Nicola Coughlan in Doctor Who: Joy to the World. BBC
What can we expect from the Christmas special, Joy to the World?
Oh, it’s just beautifully written. It’s funny, and it’s heartbreaking, and it’s full of adventure and excitement and aliens. It’s exactly the kind of thing you want to sit down and watch after Christmas dinner. I think
it’s a real homecoming with Steven Moffat and Russell T Davies working their magic. And Ncuti as well! He truly has that charisma in real life. I’m just lucky to be along for the ride.
It’s set in a time hotel — if you could travel to any period of history for Christmas, where and when would you go?
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There’s a bit where the Doctor goes on the Orient-Express. I asked to visit the set because it was so beautiful. There’s something about travelling by train, the 1930s and the glamour. But New Year’s Eve on a train like that would be amazing. The perfect way to see in 2025.
Authors
Huw FullertonCommissioning editor
Huw Fullerton is a commissioning editor for Radio Times magazine handling comedy, entertainment and specialist drama. In a previous regeneration, he covered all things sci-fi and fantasy for RadioTimes.com.
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