Nicola Coughlan responds to Derry Girls/Bridgerton crossover idea

The actress plays noble Penelope Featherington in Shonda Rhimes' period piece, but is just as well known for her breakthrough role on the Channel 4 sitcom Derry Girls.

Coughlan portrays Clare Devlin on the acclaimed series, one of four lead characters in the coming of age story following a group of teenage girls growing up in Northern Ireland against the backdrop of the Troubles.

Fans are now calling for a crossover episode between Derry Girls and Bridgerton, which would allow both beloved characters to interact with each other.

One viewer tweeted: "OK, Nicola Coughlan, I think you must bow to public pressure and give the people what they want; kindly commence work immediately on the Bridgerton/Derry Girls crossover episode."

The Taskmaster star responded: "Oh Christ, imagine the Derry Girls at a regency ball? If Clare met Queen Charlotte she'd have a panic attack on the spot."

Golda Rosheuvel (Silent Witness) plays Queen Charlotte in Bridgerton, a character loosely based on the real monarch who reigned over Great Britain and Ireland between 1761 and 1818.

Of course, this dream crossover is unlikely to actually happen, but that hasn't stopped more than 1,000 Twitter users from voicing their support for the idea.

One commenter suggested that there should be "a Children in Need mash up" of the two shows, which is perhaps the most plausible way of bringing them together.

Bridgerton has yet to be officially renewed for a second season by Netflix, but given the show's huge popularity, it seems likely that such an announcement is imminent.

Showrunner Chris Van Dusen recently said that he would like to see Bridgerton run for eight seasons, providing a full adaptation of Julia Quinn's popular novels, so there could be plenty more episodes on the way if he gets his wish.

Meanwhile, Derry Girls has been renewed for a third series on Channel 4, but production has stalled due to the coronavirus pandemic, with no indication of when filming could begin amid the current surge in cases.

Bridgerton is available to stream on Netflix. The Bridgerton novels are available on Amazon. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our guide to the best TV series on Netflix and best movies on Netflix, or visit our TV Guide.