Bridgerton has got fans hot under the collar once again - but there's far more to Pen and Colin's steamy scenes than meets the eye.
While the string quartet and layered petticoats help set the scene for the frothy fantasy, fans know all too well how raunchy the sex can be - cue the carriage scene.
In the latest season, there's only one couple that's got people talking - Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton. Now viewers are (not so) patiently waiting for the second half of season 3 to drop on Netflix. But what's the low down on their slow-burning romance? Played by Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan, the pair go from friends to lovers with quite frankly some of the hottest scenes we've ever witnessed.
We often think of the historical upper classes of Britain as stuffy and sexless. So, to see it in Bridgerton feels deliciously scandalous and a not-so guilty pleasure for many.
But how difficult is it to create these steamy scenes, that see Lords and Ladies rid themselves of all their stiff formalities? And how do you make it relatable to audiences?
We chat to sex expert and intimacy coordinator Debbie Bere from So Divine about how the magic happens on set.
Debbie says that intimacy coordinators are more important than ever, especially after the Me Too movement. They carry out a variety of roles such as helping choreograph any nude or physically intimate scenes, ensuring actor safety and comfort, creating suitable garments and barriers between actors to prevent both genital visibility, contact and stimulation.
However, the sex expert said this is no mean feat. "For many actors are just that, they are actors, pretending and being filmed doing so. So the intimacy coordinator helps make the scene look realistic. This could involve filming at certain angles that make it look like there is contact when in fact there may not be, there are a variety of methods at their disposal."
We can see Pen and Colin's chemistry from the offset - it's clear actors Nicola and Luke pair were having fun, and we can't blame them. Talking to Cosmopolitan, Nicola revealed they wanted it to "feel real". She explained: "We wanted to make them sexy. We wanted it to feel real. We wanted the audience to be like, 'Oh my god!' They're beautifully written scenes."
She then praised the work of their intimacy coordinator who worked hard to make the pair feel comfortable and feel like they were safe and in control. Nicola added: "It's not just sexy for sexy's sake. There's a story in there. I think they're beautiful, they were some of my favourite scenes to film. I never thought I would say that at the beginning of the season – I was terrified. But I look back on them with real fondness."
One of the most important roles of an intimacy coordinator is ensuring consent and communication. Debbie said that being able to talk about these more sensitive topics openly without judgement or prejudice "helps everyone feel comfortable" and "understand" what is required from them. "At the end of the day when we feel heard and respected we are all able to perform to our best, regardless of our job. This is the same for actors," Debbie added.
The sexual tension between the protagonists has entranced Brigerton fans, and Nicola has been very open about the filming process where she said she felt "liberated". The highly anticipated third season saw fans coin the couple as "Polin", but it's not just on-screen that the pair have an unquestionable chemistry.
Nicola said she and Luke had a "lot of trust in one another" and told Marie Claire she would have "struggled to do it with someone else" as they could talk about the scenes. She also noted that they were able to have a lot of say in how those scenes were done.
Bridgerton is now in its third series and the cast and crew have undoubtedly really got to know each other over the years of production. And Pen and Colin's storyline seems to have "have hit more of a chord with the audience than normal," according to Debbie, who said there's "something about an underdog but also the narrative of 'can a man and a woman ever just be friends' that seems to grip people".
"Their friendship off camera spills into filming too. We are told they had an intimacy coordinator but they directed much of their scenes themselves - see carriage scene! Phwoar. Their comfort with themselves and each other as friends and actors perhaps lent itself well to these intimate scenes. I think that's maybe why so much of the media are speculating as to whether in real life the actors are more than friends." Nicola has revealed they weren't simply told to "hold hands and kiss for three seconds" but were allowed to do what felt right instead.
"The sex scenes are revealing in many senses, but strangely they became one of my favourite parts about filming this season. It ended up being quite powerful and quite liberating," Nicola told Stylist.
Debbie further added: "Sex sells, and I think this undoubtedly has been part of Bridgerton's success. Partly because it is unexpected. Social prejudice has us assume that sex is mucky, associated with the lower classes rather than Dukes and Duchesses alike.
"But actually sexual wants and desires are natural for us all. There's something comforting about this. Paired with the tension, storylines, there's anticipation and build-up resulting in climax - pun intended."
Debbie says that Bridgerton offers Brits an accessible way to talk about sex, or what she calls a "naughty little secret". One that we feel we can talk about "because there's balls, corsets and banquets. Maybe this is the very British way of making conversations about sex palatable. Something many of us have been trying for years."
Not only did her sex scenes feel liberating, Nicola wanted to use it as a moment to fight the biggest battle of all - the conversations around her body. While she enjoyed filming them, it brought a bout of criticism towards her body and body image. In a candid interview with Stylist, she explained why she chose to have a scene where she was "very naked" on camera.
Nicola said: "I specifically asked for certain lines and moments to be included. There's one scene where I’m very naked on camera, and that was my idea, my choice. It just felt like the biggest 'f*** you' to all the conversation surrounding my body; it was amazingly empowering. I felt beautiful in the moment, and I thought 'When I'm 80, I want to look back on this and remember how f**** hot I looked!'".
Nicola then shared that she would get comments from people who asked her how she feels knowing anyone can go on Netflix and see her naked - but she said she feels "great about it" and added that not only did she consent to it, but she was the one who "drove it". She further said: "There's a reason this show became a phenomenon: it's about women feeling desire, owning their sexuality and thriving the charge in those situations."
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