Penelope Featherington and Colin’s first time having sex brought viewers to tears as part two of series three of Bridgerton dropped on Netflix on Thursday.

Fans had been waiting on tenterhooks to see the hotly-anticipated six-minute sex scene on a chaise longue, after part one, which dropped last month, ended with a steamy carriage ride and Colin asking for Penelope’s hand in marriage.

Viewers took to X, formerly Twitter, to applaud Nicola Coughlan, who plays Penelope, and producers for the ’empowering’ episode, which saw the actress, 37, strip off with Luke Newton, 31.

They wrote: ‘ Bridgerton deserves ALL the awards for the way they’re showing Penelope’s pleasure as something sensual and desirable and BEAUTIFUL.’

‘not even 25 minutes and I’m in a flood of tears, you have no idea how important it is for me to see a woman with Nicola’s body being so desired and loved in a sex scene because that is one of my biggest insecurities… I’m too much happy’.

‘Nicola Coughlan, you absolute goddess…. Episode 5… I cried.’

Others joked: ‘Nicola wasn’t lying when she said she has perfect breasts’ after the actress said earlier this week: I’m very proud as a member of the perfect breasts community. I hope you enjoy seeing them.’

Others applauded Colin (Luke Newton) for giving a lesson in consent.

In the explicit scene, Penelope was being comforted by Luke after a row with her mother about her engagement, during which time they began kissing.

Luke then began to grope his fiancée before undoing her corset and admiring her naked figure.

The pair then moved to the chaise longue where Luke’s bare bottom was displayed before they touched each other intimately.

They checked in on each other constantly, with Penelope stating: ‘tell me what to do’, with Luke offering: ‘you could touch me.’

After warning his virginal bride that this ‘may hurt’ the pair then had sex, with Penelope asking at the end ‘can we do it again?’ to which Colin quipped: ‘give me 5 minutes, maybe 10

They wrote:  ‘Colin Bridgerton is our Consent King.

Viewers took to X, formerly Twitter, to applaud Nicola Coughlan and producers for the ’empowering’ episode, which saw the actress, 37, strip off in the racy six-minute scene

 ‘As someone who has been extremely insecure in a relationship, Colin gave Penelope a beautiful first time! The compliments, the reassurance the was he made it personal… the confidence he gave her. That sex scene was everything.’

On Wednesday, Nicola  was hailed an ‘icon’ for her ‘clever’ comeback to a question about nudity while filming the third series.

During a special screening Q&A in Dublin about the new episodes, a female journalist commented that she was ‘very brave’ to play the role of Penelope Featherington – which some fans branded a ‘backhanded comment’.

And in a video captured by Goss.ie, Nicola then brilliantly responded saying: ‘You know, it is hard because I think women with my body type – women with perfect breasts – we don’t get to see ourselves onscreen enough!’

‘And I’m very proud as a member of the perfect breasts community. I hope you enjoy seeing them.’

Nicola Coughlan has a perfect clap-back for ‘brave’ comment

Fans of the star were quick to respond to the moment that has begun circulating on social media as they said: ‘It must have been one of those insulting, backhanded comments. Nicola’s clever!’

Bridgerton fans even booked the day off work with eager viewers saying they only had a few hours’ sleep as they stayed up into the early hours to watch the cast attend the red carpet premiere before counting down to the 8am release.

Nicola and Luke previously revealed they filmed so many romps that by the end they were comfortable lounging around together naked between takes.

Fans flooded X, formerly Twitter, to share their excitement and plans for the day, with some booking the day off work in advance to watch the next four episodes.

Bridgerton fans booked the day off work as Netflix dropped part two of series three on Thursday

Eager viewers stayed up into the early hours to watch the cast attend the red carpet premiere before counting down to the 8am release

They wrote: ‘Dearest Gentle Reader, you don’t have to show up at work today, as our Queen has decreed that this part of the season belongs to the employees

‘Less than 2 hours to go before the release of Bridgerton S3 Part 2! I only had 3 hours of sleep ‘coz I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning to watch the red carpet premier and advance streaming of Ep5. Not really sleepy because of excitement! Didn’t go to work for this!’

 ‘In one hour we will have Pen and Colin madly in love, having sex, getting married and living happily ever after (yeah yeah with all the Wistledown mess). We made it guys, we waited two years but we made it.’

‘ I wanna take off work to binge watch Bridgerton tomorrow’.

‘So… it seems ‘the carriage scene’ won’t be my favour anymore. Haha. Love it.’

‘Once again, we’re expected to work when Bridgerton is out?’ and ‘In one hour we will have Pen and Colin madly in love, having sex, getting married and living happily ever after (yeah with all the Whistledown mess). We made it guys, we waited two years but we made it’.

‘HAPPY SEASON 3 PART 2 DAY TO ALL WHO CELEBRATE’.

Season three part one of Bridgerton dropped last month, with eager fans wasting no time in settling down to devour the latest antics of the Regency era romantics.