Nicola Coughlan reveals she still fears being broke - and only recently felt comfortable buying coffee without worrying about money

TOP actress Nicola Coughlan has revealed she still fears of “having nothing” - as she opens up about how she used to drown in student loans.

And the Bridgerton star said that despite her huge success since she shot onto her screens in Derry Girls, it has only been recently that she was able to buy a coffee without panicking about money.

The Galway native said: “That fear of having nothing is still there. I was in debt with student loans, I was working minimum wage and the rent was so high.

“I only got Derry Girls five years ago so it’s not long since I’ve been able to go and buy a coffee and not have a panic attack.

“So I reckon I’ll have a few more years of thinking ‘I hope I have some money in my bank account’.”

But the 35-year-old said that going through hard times has made her more appreciative of what she has.

“You know what it’s like not to have all those things and you know how hard you’ve worked to get there.

“So for me to even be on a set is a privilege, to get an audition is a privilege because for years I couldn’t even get in an audition room.”

And she still says she still has imposter syndrome, saying she sometimes feels like she’s won a competition.

She told the RTE Guide: “I still wonder, ‘How did this happen?’ Even at the BAFTAS I was wondering ‘Why am I in a room with all these people?’

“So I do feel like I’ve won a competition but that’s something a lot of people in the industry grapple with, women more than men I believe.”

In January, Nicola posted a selfie asking people not to comment on her body.

She said the post wasn’t targeting trolls but instead it was to people who would trying to be nice and offering unwanted comments.

“That wasn’t targeted at trolls. I’m not that naïve to believe that I can change people who do that.

“Trolls will always be trolls and I don’t put any energy into trying to change them. Like I always say to people, I don’t remember what John 345 says to me.

“That was more about people who were trying to be nice and offering unwanted comments and me saying ‘I know that you are trying to be nice’ but I don’t feel comfortable with that.

“Yet I don’t want to be mean to them either. So it was just me trying to set a boundary if possible,” she added.