Irish actress Nicola Coughlan.Getty Images
Nicola Coughlan has spoken candidly about the importance of helping women escape abusive relationships, revealing she wants her powerful new television drama to offer a message of hope.
The Galway actress is taking on a challenging role in Channel 4’s two-part drama I Am Helen, which explores the devastating breakdown of a relationship and the violence that can take place behind closed doors.
Speaking to Patrick Kielty on Friday night’s Late Late Show, the Bridgerton and Derry Girls star said she hoped the programme would encourage anyone experiencing abuse to reach out and seek support.
The drama was developed alongside acclaimed writer and director Dominic Savage, known for his I Am… series, which sees actors work closely with him to create their characters and stories.
Nicola explained that the unusual production process meant there was no traditional script to fall back on, with much of the dialogue and action improvised on set.
She admitted the experience could be daunting, saying: ‘They’re basically completely improvised. So, there’s a story there, but you show up on set every day with no script. The fear levels every day of going into work, you’re like, ‘I can’t do it. It’s too much.’
Nicola Coughlan at the 2025 SAG Awards. (Getty Images)
The story centres on Helen, whose relationship takes a frightening turn following a violent incident during an intimate moment. Viewers then follow her as she attempts to break away from the situation.
Patrick described the subject matter as particularly timely, and Nicola sadly agreed. The actress also revealed that she had not been fully aware of the growing influence of the manosphere before becoming involved in the project.
She said developing the drama with Dominic involved spending time together discussing the world around them before gradually building a story.
Nicola explained that she only fully understood the themes they had explored once the finished programme came together.
She said the series tackles violence against women and the harmful attitudes being spread through online communities and forums. The conversation then turned to the wider issue of protecting women, particularly in the entertainment industry, following the conviction of Russell Brand for rape and sexual assault.
But Nicola was quick to point out that abuse is by no means confined to the world of showbusiness or to men in positions of influence. She warned against viewing perpetrators as some kind of extreme exception, saying the reality is that women can experience abuse in their own homes every day.
‘I don’t think it’s just in our business. I think it’s all over,’ she told Patrick, adding that she believes meaningful change has to begin at a young age, with boys being taught about respect for women and the importance of healthy relationships.
She also praised her co-star Joe Cole, who plays Helen’s boyfriend Steve, for creating a character who feels like a real person rather than a one-dimensional villain. Nicola said it was important to show how someone could gradually go down a destructive path, rather than presenting abusive behaviour as something that only comes from an obvious monster.
She also raised concerns about the role social media plays in driving people apart, arguing that increasingly extreme online conversations can make it harder to have honest discussions and understand one another. The Derry Girls actress added that men’s mental health also needs to be part of the conversation, saying she does not believe traditional structures of male power necessarily benefit men themselves.
However, the most moving part of Nicola’s interview came when Patrick asked what she hoped women in situations like Helen’s would take away from watching the drama, and she said she was determined the story would not end without offering some hope.
‘It’s odd to spoil a show that you’re in, but I didn’t want to do the show if it didn’t have a happy ending; I just didn’t want to tell the story of someone in an abusive situation. I didn’t want to tell something miserable. I needed to know that there was a way out of it.’
Nicola acknowledged that leaving an abusive relationship can be an extremely dangerous time, but said she hoped the programme might help someone realise they are not alone and that support is available and encouraged anyone struggling to speak to friends, colleagues or people they trust, stressing that there are people who can help.
‘I hope that if people see this… It’s really tough; I don’t want to speak lightly of anyone in an abusive situation, but you hope that it can maybe shine a little light and go, ”There is a way out of this. ”
I Am Helen begins on Channel 4 on Monday, November 16, at 9 pm.
*This article was originally published on Extra.ie.