"We're all dying to get back."

Fans of Derry Girls have long been anticipating the return of their favourite series. The hit comedy was due to start filming season three earlier this year; plans that were inevitably postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. And while we've all been dying to know what will be in store for Derry Girls' third season, so have the cast. Nicola Coughlan, who plays Clare Devlin on the Channel 4 series, tells Her that although she can't wait to return to filming, she doesn't know when that will be - or what's going to happen on the show.

“We haven’t even seen the script, [creator] Lisa McGee tells us nothing so I’m completely in the dark," she says.  "Which is probably a good thing because I don’t want to let anything slip.

"We kind of just have to wait. We don’t want to compromise the show, or change certain scenes, nobody wants to do that.

"The end product will live on, so everyone wants it to be the best it can be. We’re all dying to get back, but we want to make sure we’re doing it properly and carefully."

Despite the delay in filming, the cast of Derry Girls have kept busy - and they've kept in touch. Earlier this summer, they came together for a (virtual) sketch for RTÉ Does Comic Relief. Elsewhere, they've been seeing each other when they can, actively affirming themselves as one of the most tight knit casts on TV.

“The five of us chat all the time," says Nicola. "I’ve actually just gotten a bunch of messages from them because three of them are meeting up this evening. I’ve got really bad FOMO.

"Lisa has said that after working on a lot of TV shows she’s never seen a cast that has such good chemistry.

"It does feel like something special. I’ve never had such an instant rapport with people I’ve worked with either, we just bounce off each other. Everyone is so funny and it makes you want to up your game and be funnier too."

Thankfully post-Covid, there'll be a lot of time for that, because Derry Girls isn't just getting a third season, it's also getting a movie. At least, it is if creator Lisa McGee has anything to say about it. And unsurprisingly, the cast are completely on board. "I would love [a movie], I have such love for Clare as a character, " says Nicola. “There’s so much I would love to see them do, I’d love to see them in a school play, that idea has always tickled me because I was such a drama kid in school. "The thing is we’ve only had 12 episodes so far, and there is so much more you can do with those characters in the '90s. It'll be interesting to see where Lisa goes with it. I trust her completely." Derry Girls isn't Nicola's only recent large scale project. Prior to the pandemic, she wrapped filming on upcoming Netflix series, Bridgerton - one of the most eagerly anticipated shows of the year. Based on the historical romance novels by Julia Quinn, and created by Shonda Rhimes of Grey's Anatomy and Scandal fame, the show boasts a drama-fuelled script driven by a diverse and talented cast... Including none other than Julie Andrews.

“When I found out that Julie Andrews had been cast, I cried," says Nicola. "It was so overwhelming.

"Her character is a regency era Gossip Girl, so she’s writing all these stories about the different strands of high society and meddling in people’s lives. It’s just been an incredible thing to be a part of.

"The show is super lavish and colourful, it’s like a box of chocolates. And like Shonda Rhimes’ other shows, it’s so dramatic. It feels very fresh and it’s got such a diverse cast. I’m really proud of that."

Nicola has all but been sworn to secrecy on Bridgerton, but she did confirm that the series will be released on Netflix later this year - and that you might want to reconsider watching it with your grandparents.

"It’s quite racy because it’s based off romance novels," she says. "So you might want to warn your mum or your granny before you sit down to watch it."

Nicola Coughlan is part of Coca-Cola's ‘This Coke Is On Us’ campaign, supporting local bars, restaurants and cafes. To enjoy a free Coke, you can register and download a coupon here and present it to a member of staff at one of the participating outlets. Anyone who redeems a coupon can get a single serve of Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar or Diet Coke, any time from now until October 18th.