The wait for Bridgerton season 3 is finally over, and fans cannot contain their excitement.

Nicola Coughlan, known for her role as Penelope Featherington or Lady Whistledown in the series, stunned the audience with her Harper’s Bazaar magazine cover this week.

The Bridgerton star was featured in the magazine this April to show off her modeling skills and beauty, but what impressed the audience most was her age, and some people are even “refusing” to believe it.

How Old Is Nicola Coughlan?

Coughlan went viral on social media platforms after people discovered her real age. Turns out, the Derry Girls actress was born on January 9, 1987, making her 37. Not that 37 is old or anything, but people were almost certain that she was at least in her mid-20s.

X (formerly Twitter) user @ULTRAGLOSS wrote, “the other day i looked up her age bc i was rewatching derry girls and i assumed she was 19-21 when they filmed and maybe in her mid 20s now. this queen is 37 years old.”

Her youthful appearance got people commenting on Coughlan’s gorgeous features. Others mentioned how she’s a perfect example of why you shouldn’t get buccal fat removal, which potentially can age you. Another woman added, “she’s the perfect argument against buccal fat removal because she’s proof that full cheeks keep you looking youthful (at 37).”

Plump cheeks signal youthfulness and health, and cheeks are one of the first regions of the face where change occurs as we age. Of course, there are more reasons why Coughlan seems so young – she also has great hair and skin. Her height may have something to do with it as well, as her Bridgerton co-stars tower over her in the show.

“And here i thought she was mid 20’s 😲,” a commenter wrote.

What’s interesting is how Coughlan shared her satirical rules on how to avoid scrutiny in the entertainment industry, and her first one is to “be permanently 22 years old.”

She told Harper’s Bazaar, “Unfortunately, you’re not allowed to age beyond this, and if you do try to counteract the process with Botox or fillers, people will say it’s bad because you’re scared of aging. Instead, I suggest cryogenically freezing yourself and only defrosting if the part is really worth it. Alternatively, you could find out whatever potion it was that Isabella Rossellini gave Meryl Streep in Death Becomes Her and chug that down.”

Now we know Coughlan is joking, but she’s definitely following the “22 forever” rule because she doesn’t seem to be aging whatsoever.