Luke Newton is allowed to have a girlfriend that’s not Nicola Coughlan-Kat Romero-Entertainment – Metro

Fans became more and more convinced that a real-life romance had secretly blossomed off-screen (Picture: Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock)

Colin and Penelope’s love story may have seen Bridgerton season three achieve dizzying new heights of success, but it’s the sizzling chemistry between co-stars Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton that has caused the most hysteria.

As part of their global press tour for the Netflix franchise, the actors – who were quickly dubbed ‘Lukola’ – appeared joyful in each other’s presence, gushed about the love they had for one another, and even walked the red carpet hand in hand. 

And with every tender moment, fans became more and more convinced that a real-life romance had secretly blossomed off-screen.

So much so that when Luke was spotted with his rumoured girlfriend, dancer Antonia Roumelioti, at the wrap party following the London premiere last week, fans accused him of breaking their hearts – with some even suggesting that he should have kept his relationship hidden for longer. 

‘Couldn’t they wait 3-6 weeks to let this season settle in,’ one fan commented on an Instagram post.

‘I am speechless. What a refreshing SLAP to my face this morning,’ another added – while one angrily fumed: ‘Thanks for ruining the moment, I hope you are happy with this.’

I’m a big fan of Bridgerton myself but I certainly don’t feel the season has been dampened by the revelation that Nicola and Luke’s bond was purely platonic. And I certainly don’t expect either of them to pretend to be something they’re not just to keep a fan base happy.

Surely as actors, Luke and Nicola owe fans nothing more than a brilliant season of TV? And on that front, they most certainly delivered.

Penelope and Colin’s journey had all the classic tropes of a wonderful love story. Friends to lovers filled with moments of yearning, passion and a rocking carriage scene that has forever changed the way we view the music of Pitbull. 

They both committed to eight months of filming that required long days on set with early morning calls and late-night finishes (Picture: LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX)

Nicola kindly graced audiences with her self-proclaimed ‘perfect breasts’ (which they totes are) and as for Luke, we will never forget his improvised decision to fix Penelope’s dress with only a certain few fingers. Woof. 

Plus, he proved that, just like Mr Darcy, there’s nothing like a billowing sleeve on a man to get us a little hot under the collar.

And to deliver such an immense season, they both committed to eight months of filming that required long days on set with early morning calls and late-night finishes. An arduous task in itself but they then embarked on a six-month press tour that saw them jetting from country to country. 

There’s no doubt that Nicola and Luke leaned into the fans’ fervour surrounding their relationship at times (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)

The leading roles in Bridgerton already require an immense amount of personal sacrifice for the stars. Do fans seriously expect Luke to also have to sacrifice his relationship for the sake of a romance that never even existed?

Nicola appeared to defend Luke against the recent backlash with an adoring Instagram story that described him as a ‘true gentleman,’ and ‘the kindest friend’. The Derry Girls star may have also been keen to dispel any wild theories of tension, especially as some fans had started to pit her against Luke’s girlfriend. 

‘He holds Nicola’s hands much more intimately, that’s all I’m going to say,’ one commented on an Instagram post of Luke and Antonia. 

‘She’s so desperate and he’s so done,’ another added.

Others insisted on social media that Antonia was only with Luke for a slice of fame and the dancer has since limited the posts on her Instagram. So what does that say about these so-called fans? In their supposed quest to uplift Nicola, they’ve torn down an innocent woman whose only crime is dating a man in the public eye.

As for Antonia’s relationship with Luke’s leading co-star, there’s even a video of her greeting Nicola with an affectionate hug. Hardly the display of two women caught in an awkward love triangle.

There’s no doubt that Nicola and Luke leaned into the fans’ fervour surrounding their relationship at times. They’d have been fools not to. It made for an amazing PR run and hey, that’s showbiz. 

But that doesn’t mean their adoration for one another isn’t genuine. Why should we assume their relationship isn’t loving just because it’s platonic?

Luke has publicly claimed their bond was forged from the beginning, while Nicola has insisted their shared Bridgerton experience has forever connected them.

And while fans may feel a sense of grief over the loss of their beloved Lukola, they’re missing the bigger picture. Luke and Nicola may not be destined for a fairytale ending like Polin. But in a tough industry like Hollywood, it’s clear the pair have carved out a lifelong friendship built on adoration and trust.

And that’s a love story worth celebrating, too.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk. 

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