Who Is Bridgerton Star, Nicola Coughlan’s Boyfriend? Meet Jake Dunn, Shares 13-Year Age Gap With GF

Nicola Coughlan is one of the most famous Irish actresses. Her acting career began pretty early, at the age of 9, when she played an uncredited role in the 1997 action thriller, My Brother’s War. In the following years, Nicola made a name for herself as a voice actor for her work in series and films like Fairytales (2004-2005), Summer of the Flying Saucer (2008), Simsala Grimm II: The Adventures of Yoyo and Doc Croc (2010), The Legend of the Magical Hammer (2011), and Ivan the Incredible (2012), to name a few.  

While she struggled to land roles in front of the camera, Nicola’s breakthrough finally came when she began playing ‘Clare Devlin’, one of the main characters in the sitcom, Derry Girls, in 2018. However, it wasn’t until Nicola landed a role in the Netflix series, Bridgerton, which premiered in 2020, that she began to gain wider recognition. As you might already be aware, Nicola has also reprised her role as ‘Penelope Featherington’ in the next three seasons of the period drama. With Bridgerton Season 4 Part 2 having just been released a few days ago, on February 26, 2026, fans have started to wonder about her love life off-screen. If you are one of them, here’s everything we know about Nicola Coughlan’s boyfriend, Jake Dunn and their relationship.  

Jake Dunn is from Nottingham, England and shares a 13-year age gap with his girlfriend, Nicola Coughlan  

According to reports online, Jake Dunn was born in Nottingham, England, on February 12, 2000. This makes him 26 years old as of 2026. Well, when Jake started dating history now girlfriend, Nicola Coughlan, their relationship generated a lot of buzz, partly because of their age gap. For those unaware, the Bridgerton star is 39 years old this year, making her and Jake nearly 13 years apart in age.  

Jake Dunn went to acting school in London  

Similar to his girlfriend, Nicola Coughlan, Jake Dunn is also an actor. According to reports, Jake went to school for acting at London’s Guildhall School for Music and Drama. He graduated from the same just a few years earlier in 2022, according to his bio. Apparently, Jake’s school is known for producing some of the most well-known names in the entertainment industry, like Daniel Craig, Richard Campbell, Lily James, Ewan McGregor, Orlando Bloom and more. During his time there, Jake has appeared on two main productions on campus. This includes ‘Betsy’s’ husband in Anna Karenina and ‘Cassius’ in Julius Caesar. Other projects which he has worked on include Oedipus, Death of a Salesman, and Much Ado About Nothing.  

Jake Dunn has worked professionally on TV shows like Disney+’s Renegade Nell 

Stage work is not the only thing that Jake Dunn has done as an actor. After he completed his graduation from the Guildhall School for Music and Drama, Jake began working professionally on a number of TV shows. One of Jake’s most notable works includes Disney+’s Renegade Nell. In this show, which is set in a fantastical 18th-century England, Jake played the role of one of the villains in the story named ‘Thomas’. During an interview, Jake mentioned how his character on the show “was so unlikeable and enjoyed being unlikeable that you kind of had to go there.”

Unfortunately, according to a report by Deadline, Renegade Nell was cancelled after its first season. It is worth mentioning that 2025 was an eventful year for Jack Dunn. This is because in 2025, Jake appeared in the hit movie, William Tell, starring Connor Swindells and Ben Kingsley. Later in the year, Jake also appeared in the BBC drama, What It Feels Like for A Girl.  

Jack Dun was supported by his girlfriend, Nicola Coughlan, at his show’s premiere  

For the unversed, Jake’s show, Renegade Nell, had its world premiere in March 2024. Held in London, Nicola Coogler was right by her boyfriend, Jake’s side, to show her support. It is worth noting that despite this, the duo weren’t photographed walking the carpet together. Fans of both Jake and Nicola only found out that the latter was also present at the premiere when one of Jake’s co-stars, Alice Kremelberg, posted a throwback snap on Instagram featuring Nicola. In the photo Alice posted in June 2024, she can be seen posing alongside Jake and Nicola, with Jake’s arm around his girlfriend and his face leaning into hers.  

Jake Dunn and Nicola Coughlan first sparked romance rumours in August 2024 

In August 2024, Nicola Coughlan and Jake Dunn were spotted together at the All Points East festival. Held at Victoria Park in London, the couple could be seen having a jolly time to the music there. Well, this is when Nicola and Jake first led fans to believe that they were dating. Later, The Daily Mail also obtained photos of the Bridgerton actress cosying up to her boyfriend as they enjoyed singer, Mitski’s performance. One month later, in October 2024, the duo were spotted once again getting cosy on what appeared to be a date night in London. Apparently, they could be seen embracing after leaving an Irish bar and walking down the street.  

Jake Dunn and Nicola Coughlan made their red carpet debut as a couple at the BAFTA Television & Television Craft Awards nominees party 

In February 2025, Nicola Coughlan and Jake Dunn made their relationship Instagram official. Posting a sweet message to her Instagram Stories on her boyfriend’s birthday, Nicola wrote, “Happy Birthday,” followed by a pink heart emoji. Just a month after they seemingly went IG official, Jake and Nicola made their red carpet debut as a couple.

For those unaware, this was during the April 2025 BAFTA Television & Television Craft Awards nominees party, where Jake went to support Nicola. Reportedly, Nicola has received a BAFTA nomination for Best Performance in a Comedy for her acting in the series, Big Mood.  

What are your thoughts on Bridgerton star, Nicola Coughlan’s boyfriend, Jake Dunn and their relationship? Let us know.  

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