Summer for sunburn-prone people can be brutal and the tan lines that come after can be even worse, particularly if you’re in regency-style clothing.
Bridgerton actress Nicola Coughlan is back in her role as Penelope Featherington for filming and production of Season 3 this summer, and the work is far from a game of dress-up.
The actors and actresses have shared small clips to their social media pages as filming starts, but have been careful not to spoil anything so far.
Nicola is stepping into the role of the main character along with her co-star Luke Newton (Colin Bridgerton) and is set to have a lot more screen time than before.
With more acting comes the return of her brutal tan from the set as she shared the snap with her Instagram followers.
Fortunately, the actress appeared to be handling her sunburn and new tan lines with grace and humor as she showed off the visible difference in her skin tone.
Nicola Coughlan tugs down shirt to reveal tan lines
Taking to her Instagram Stories, the actress shared a quick snap with followers to show her tan lines from her Bridgerton costume.
She offered a wide grin for the camera with her blonde locks pushed back, the difference between her sunburnt skin and the non-burnt skin very obvious.
She wrote, “And so…the Bridgertan* returns,” with the addendum, “*sunburn you get while wearing a regency dress.”
Fortunately, what was a sunburn appears to be healed now as she prepares to be the star of Bridgerton Season 3.
Bridgerton Season 3 will focus on Penelope and Colin’s love story
Penelope Featherington has been a prominent character through Bridgerton Seasons 1 and 2 as she is the best friend of Eloise Bridgerton and Lady Whistledown, a gossip writer of whom no one knows the identity.
Season 3 will have Penelope in the spotlight as the Netflix series jumps ahead in the book order to focus on her romance with Colin Bridgerton.
Penelope has had a crush on Colin from the very beginning of Season 1, so this will feature the end of her unrequited feelings, though it could draw out the slow-burn romance a bit more.
The cast teased the book’s famous carriage scene as they gathered for filming, and readers of Julia Quinn’s novels are hopeful to see the M-rated scene courtesy of Shondaland.
For now, fans will have to wait and see what happens in Season 3- including more of Penelope’s amazing glow-up.
Bridgerton Seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming on Netflix.