logo
Nicola Coughlan to star in Channel 4 drama I Am

Nicola Coughlan to star in Channel 4 drama I Am

BreakingNews.ie4 days ago
Female-led drama series I Am is to return to Channel 4 with a new story starring Bridgerton's Nicola Coughlan.
The two-part I Am Helen will also star Gangs Of London's Joe Cole and is created by Bafta-winning filmmaker Dominic Savage.
Advertisement
The 38-year-old actress said: 'It's an absolute honour to be part of telling the next I Am story alongside Dominic Savage – a singular talent and a storyteller deeply committed to exploring the breadth of the female experience.
Joe Cole will star alongside Coughlan (Jordan Pettitt/PA)
'To follow in the footsteps of the brilliant women who've collaborated with him on this series feels truly surreal, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be embarking on this journey.'
The series aims to explore authentically the personal experiences of women through 'provocative, emotionally raw storytelling', with one previous story I Am Ruth starring Kate Winslet.
Gemma Boswell, commissioning editor at Channel 4 drama, said: 'We are delighted to welcome back Dominic Savage alongside the supremely talented Nicola Coughlan in I Am Helen.
Advertisement
'The I Am series is a powerful and timely portrait of our times, and we are thrilled to have the powerhouse combination of Dominic and Nicola to tell such a distinctive and impactful story.'
The format debuted in August 2019, with Vicky McClure starring in I Am Nicola, Samantha Morton starring in I Am Kirsty and Gemma Chan starring in I Am Hannah, while series two saw Suranne Jones in I Am Victoria, Letitia Wright in I Am Danielle and Lesley Manville in I Am Maria.
Krishnendu Majumdar and Richard Yee of producers Me+You Productions, said: 'It's a genuine privilege to continue our creative relationship with Dominic Savage, one of the most brilliant and uniquely talented filmmakers today and to be working with Nicola Coughlan, one of the standout performers of her generation.
'Their collaboration on this two-part instalment of I Am promises to be something truly special, and we're deeply grateful to Channel 4 for their continued support and belief in this powerful series.'
Advertisement
A release date is yet to be announced for the new story.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Peru Two drug mule Michaella McCollum insists she's changed ahead of Celeb SAS challenge
Peru Two drug mule Michaella McCollum insists she's changed ahead of Celeb SAS challenge

Daily Mirror

time19 minutes ago

  • Daily Mirror

Peru Two drug mule Michaella McCollum insists she's changed ahead of Celeb SAS challenge

EXCLUSIVE: Michaella McCollum is trying to move on from her Peru Two past and make her kids proud on TV this weekend If there is one women who might be equipped to take on the toughness of an SAS challenge, it is Michaella McCollum. It's been more than a decade since drug mule Michaella made headlines as one half of the so-called Peru Two. ‌ On 6 August 2013, Michaella McCollum and Melissa Reid were arrested at Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima, Peru. Their luggage contained £1.5m worth of cocaine. ‌ Michaella had been convinced to attempt to smuggle the drugs from Peru to Spain by a man she met in Ibiza. But it was a decision that would see her go on to spend three years behind bars in one of South America's toughest prisons before being granted early release. Her interview comes after Channel 4 breaks silence after Gogglebox couple suddenly dumped from show. ‌ Looking back, Michaela admits that having messed up when she went to jail for drug smuggling left her so terrified of making another mistake she became so cautious and stuck in her ways. Signing up to Channel 4 's SAS was her way of giving her a push to take back control of her life. 'I feel like in my younger days, I made lots of mistakes, so then I was really cautious of doing things, because I didn't want to mess up again. I didn't want to mess up, I didn't want to make any more mistakes. ‌ "But we can't live life like that, because we're always going to make mistakes, we're always going to make bad choices, obviously not as bad a choice as I made previously, but it's okay to make a mistake. 'I had got to the point where I was just refusing to do a lot of things because I was scared. What if I mess it up? What if I take this job and it doesn't work out? What if I move to this place and it doesn't work out? I was just a little bit afraid of making those decisions. I felt stuck. So I guess that was the main thing for me, to try and learn to overcome that. ‌ 'I was at the point in my life where I was just stuck in my comfort zone, and I thought this is a good way to break those barriers and do the things that scare me, and maybe that will help me in the future with decisions and just different things in life.' Now 32, she is stepping back into the spotlight in the new series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, alongside the likes of Rebecca Loos and Conor Benn. The celebs take part in the most gruelling phase of Special Forces selection, directed through by an elite team of ex-Special Forces soldiers including Chief Instructor Billy Billingham. ‌ First she had to learn to swim before heading onto the show, then face a grilling from the SAS team and even fight her co-stars and take on a range of other challenges. Michaela knows she will always be known as one half of the Peru Two but Michaela hopes being on the Channel 4 series will show people a different side to her. ‌ She told the Mirror: 'It's so easy to sit at home and judge somebody when somebody's whole life is tearing apart. So I feel like it was important, I guess, when I got there, to show that I'm not just that girl who went to prison. "I'm a mother, I'm a human, I make mistakes. This is what we are and this is what we're here to do. So I hope it does change the public's opinion, but if it doesn't, it doesn't. 'I did that show for me, I wanted to improve myself and push myself. There's gonna be people that will always have their opinion. There'll be people that will always judge me for that(smuggling). But I'm not just that. ‌ "I hope it kind of, softens the image so people get to see me in a different light.' And having spent three years in the notorious Ancon 2 jail Michaella endured horrendous living conditions, physical violence, and while battling the legal system and learning to survive in an environment that was as hostile as it was brutal. ‌ Following her release in 2015, Michaella sought to rebuild her life in Northern Ireland, earning a degree in International Business Management from Ulster University in 2023. She also found a new passion for fitness, using it as a tool to reclaim control over her life. She regularly delivers motivational talks about personal transformation, overcoming adversity, and the dangers of coercion. Her experiences, both in prison and in navigating the challenges that followed, have made her a sought-after speaker for law enforcement and community groups. Away from the show She's a single mum to two twin boys and Michaela says they are going to be shocked when they see what she did on the course. She can't wait for them to see her in action and realise that behind the glam exterior is a tough cookie. ‌ She said: 'I spoke to my kids about the show, and they didn't want me to do the show, because they were like, 'You're going to die.' 'I'm like, 'I'm not going to die' And like, 'No, because this is really bad, and you're going to break your nails.' I'm like, 'It's fine. I can break my nails. It's okay'. ‌ 'But I think I had these conversations with them, obviously they're only seven, but I had these conversations with them after. So I think when it does air, to show them that, because obviously they don't see that side of me, to show that I am capable of doing that, and that it's okay. "They'll think it's super cool to jump off a speedboat onto a helicopter. They're going to see that mum is an action hero! I'm a single mum, so it's just me in my household. They always say mum doesn't do boy stuff but I hope when they see this and what I did I'll be like, "Yeah, you see me? I can do what boys do too.' Asked if she has learned anything from the experience, on top of all the other experiences she had had in life, she added: 'I mean, they're incredibly strong, resilient people. You don't normally meet people that are faced with the challenges and the things that they have to do. "And I guess when you listen to them and you talk to them, you realise that the things that you worry about in your everyday life really don't freaking matter. The things we're stressing about every day, they don't matter when you have people like them in the Army or SAS. What they have to go through when they are in times of war, you don't really understand that.'

AI attractiveness bot reveals world's most beautiful singer – as celebs such as Taylor Swift & Dua Lipa vie for top spot
AI attractiveness bot reveals world's most beautiful singer – as celebs such as Taylor Swift & Dua Lipa vie for top spot

The Sun

time19 minutes ago

  • The Sun

AI attractiveness bot reveals world's most beautiful singer – as celebs such as Taylor Swift & Dua Lipa vie for top spot

POP superstar Taylor Swift is the most attractive singer on the planet, according to analysis by artificial intelligence. She scored 9.14 out of ten after her images were run through an attractiveness program. 11 Fellow US singers Demi Lovato and Lana Del Rey came second and third with scores of 9.10 and 8.93. An AI program processed images using the golden ratio, equal to 1.618 and studied since antiquity to analyse objects' proportions. The closer the ratios of a face or body are to 1.618, the more beautiful they are deemed to be. After examining images of 140 musical artists — both male and female — for gaming site 1377, South Korean boyband star Jungkook was rated the fourth most attractive, followed by Brits Adele and Dua Lipa in fifth and sixth. US rapper Megan Thee Stallion was seventh and ex-One Direction star Zayn Malik eighth. Country star Kacey Musgraves and former The Voice UK coach Meghan Trainor made up the top ten. 11 But there was no spot for Right Said Fred pair Fred and Richard Fairbrass, who had a No2 hit in 1991 with I'm Too Sexy. A 1377 spokesman said: 'This study raises questions about how beauty standards are being reinforced by algorithms. "As AI tools become more mainstream, we need to be aware of how they may replicate narrow or biased ideals of attractiveness.' It's not just stars who can feel the benefits of AI. Taylor Swift and Dakota Johnson enjoy night out with rarely-seen brothers Austin and Jesse in NYC Now Chatgpt allows you to put a picture into their system and give you pointers on how to improve your appearance for a glow-up this summer. Send an image of yourself with your usual hair and make-up and asked it to give some tips for a summer glow up. The AI system will then tell you what you're getting right - and give you a list of tips to improve your look. 11 11 11 11 11

BBC Breakfast host Naga Munchetty faces investigation into ‘hard' and ‘bullying' behaviour after string of complaints
BBC Breakfast host Naga Munchetty faces investigation into ‘hard' and ‘bullying' behaviour after string of complaints

The Sun

time19 minutes ago

  • The Sun

BBC Breakfast host Naga Munchetty faces investigation into ‘hard' and ‘bullying' behaviour after string of complaints

THE BBC is set to launch an investigation into Naga Munchetty following a string of complaints. The Breakfast host, 50, has been placed 'under review' while bosses consider escalating matters to a formal investigation. 4 4 A source said bosses had heard from a number of aggrieved colleagues, logging concerns over her 'hard' and 'bullying' behaviour on BBC Breakfast and her Radio 5 Live show. She had also been hauled in by bosses over allegations she made an off-air sex jibe at 5 Live. The source said: 'Following the amount of people who have come forward to share their experiences with Naga, the BBC has officially moved to place the complaints under review. "The review is to ascertain whether a full-on investigation is required and that could come in weeks.' We have reported she faced complaints on 5 Live including a bullying claim and the use of crude, sexual language. Bosses were forced to apologise on her behalf after a tense interview with Spice Girl Geri Horner in 2023. A BBC spokesperson said: 'While we do not comment on individual cases, we take all complaints about conduct at work extremely seriously and will not tolerate behaviour that is not in line with our values. 'We have robust processes in place and would encourage any staff with concerns to raise them directly with us so they can be addressed.' Her conduct came under the spotlight after a probe into the award-winning show's director, Richard Frediani. "He has returned to work following the investigation into his conduct, including a claim he 'physically shook' a female worker. BBC star Naga Munchetty hauled in by bosses over allegations she BULLIED a junior staffer and 'made an off-air sex jibe' A second 'listening' review by HR has encouraged staff to share ang grievances about Frediani, Munchetty and her co-host Charlie Stayt. Munchatty began work on BBC Breakfast in 2014 and covers Thursday to Saturday alongside Stayt, as well as presenting a Radio 5 programme three times a week. She is the BBC's 10th highest earner, on around £355,000. We reported since the bullying row had erupted on BBC Breakfast, her team had approached LBC radio to seek out new opportunities. 4

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store