{"id":641901,"date":"2026-10-26T15:30:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T15:30:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/641901\/"},"modified":"2026-10-26T15:30:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T15:30:12","slug":"first-look-at-dramatic-trailer-of-nicola-coughlan-in-emotional-channel-4-drama-i-am-helen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/641901\/","title":{"rendered":"First look at dramatic trailer of Nicola Coughlan in emotional Channel 4 drama I Am Helen"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"3\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">After months of anticipation and waiting, we now have a first-look trailer for I Am Helen starring Nicola Coughlan, the next instalment in Dominic Savage&#8217;s acclaimed Channel 4 anthology drama.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"9\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a70779774\/nicola-coughlan-bridgerton-new-project-manosphere\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a70779774\/nicola-coughlan-bridgerton-new-project-manosphere\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"The series\" data-node-id=\"9.0\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The series<\/a>, which premiered in 2019, sees writer-director Savage collaborate with the leading actor on a standalone story, with previous episodes of drama featuring Kate Winslet, Suranne Jones and Lesley Manville.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"13\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">The latest chapter, the first in four years, sees Derry Girls and Bridgerton star Coughlan take on the titular role, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a71675430\/nicola-coughlan-i-am-helen-first-look\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a71675430\/nicola-coughlan-i-am-helen-first-look\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"the two-part drama\" data-node-id=\"13.5\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the two-part drama<\/a> set to explore &#8220;the experience of womanhood within a world shaped by masculine power, aggression, and control&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p><img draggable=\"true\" alt=\"nicola coughlan, i am helen\" title=\"Nicola Coughlan, I Am Helen\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2200\" height=\"1467\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;width:100%;height:auto;\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/2f247b57-267d-4919-871a-212c4ecb3d6c.jpg\" class=\"css-0 e1ddfba50\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Channel 4<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"18\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tech\/best-tech-deals\/g35899960\/best-streaming-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tech\/best-tech-deals\/g35899960\/best-streaming-services\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Best streaming services UK 2026 \u2013 including Disney Plus, Netflix, iPlayer and Apple TV\" data-node-id=\"18.0.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Best streaming services UK 2026 \u2013 including Disney Plus, Netflix, iPlayer and Apple TV<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"22\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">The first-look trailer begins with Helen discussing her relationship with her partner Steve (played by Joe Cole), which she says has hit a &#8220;rough patch&#8221; after five years. It&#8217;s far darker than that, however, as he begins to display disturbing beliefs.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"26\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">Though Helen softens the truth during a conversation with her friend, Steve&#8217;s behaviour becomes increasingly controlling and dangerous, with the titular character having to make a decision regarding her safety.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"31\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">&#8220;Told through a female lens, the story examines the pressures and expectations placed on women while confronting the realities of toxic masculinity and the damage it can create in modern relationships,&#8221; reads the logline.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"35\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a65526177\/i-am-helen-channel-4-nicola-coughlan\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a65526177\/i-am-helen-channel-4-nicola-coughlan\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Speaking upon the project&#039;s announcement last year\" data-node-id=\"35.0\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Speaking upon the project&#8217;s announcement last year<\/a>, Coughlan said: &#8220;It&#8217;s an absolute honour to be part of telling the next I Am\u2026 story alongside Dominic Savage &#8211; a singular talent and a storyteller deeply committed to exploring the breadth of the female experience.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"39\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">&#8220;To follow in the footsteps of the brilliant women who&#8217;ve collaborated with him on this series feels truly surreal, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be embarking on this journey,&#8221; added the star, who is also known for Big Mood.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"43\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">Gemma Boswell, Commissioning Editor for Drama at Channel 4, praised Savage and Coughlan as a &#8220;powerhouse&#8221; team, before adding that the &#8220;distinctive and impactful story&#8221; would be a &#8220;powerful and timely portrait of our times&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p><img draggable=\"true\" alt=\"joe cole, nicola coughlan, i am helen\" title=\"Joe Cole, Nicola Coughlan, I Am Helen\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2200\" height=\"1467\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;width:100%;height:auto;\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/c235b0c5-0ecd-4a98-828d-7d989b5fd3bd.jpg\" class=\"css-0 e1ddfba50\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Channel 4<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"48\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a74245847\/adultery-itv-release-schedule\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a74245847\/adultery-itv-release-schedule\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Adultery on ITV release schedule: When is the next episode of the affair drama on TV?\" data-node-id=\"48.0.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Adultery on ITV release schedule: When is the next episode of the affair drama on TV?<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"52\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">I Am\u2026 premiered in 2019 with three episodes as Vicky McClure, Samantha Morton and Gemma Chan took the lead roles, before Jones, Letitia Wright and Manville starred in the second season two years later.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"56\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">A feature-length instalment, titled I Am Ruth, was released in 2022, with Winslet leading the drama. Savage has written and directed all the episodes, while Krishnendu Majumdar and Josh Hyams serve as producers.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"60\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">I Am Helen will air and stream on Channel 4 later this year. <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"66\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">Visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a70049607\/streaming-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a70049607\/streaming-guide\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Streaming Guide\" data-node-id=\"66.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Streaming Guide<\/a> now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"70\" class=\"css-14bo8h1 emevuu60\">The new edition of Legends, a 100-page celebration of the world of K-pop, is here. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hearstmagazines.co.uk\/living-legends-kpop\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.hearstmagazines.co.uk\/living-legends-kpop\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Buy K-Pop in newsagents or online\" data-node-id=\"70.3\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Buy K-Pop in newsagents or online<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-dynamic-svg=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/_assets\/design-tokens\/hearst\/static\/images\/logos\/lettermark.be20fe9.svg?primary=%2523000\" loading=\"lazy\" data-testid=\"dynamic-svg-base\" height=\"100\" width=\"100\" alt=\"Lettermark\" class=\"css-1gzwuo6 ev8dhu50\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Movies<\/a> and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. \u00a0His film tastes vary from blockbusters like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/mission-impossible\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mission: Impossible<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/john-wick\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">John Wick<\/a> to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.<br \/>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After months of anticipation and waiting, we now have a first-look trailer for I Am Helen starring Nicola&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":641902,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[149861,219323,147144,2115,314771,2117,156,207184,2116,111,139,69,314770,251090,437],"class_list":["post-641901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-collection-bridgerton","tag-collection-derry-girls","tag-collection-latest-news","tag-content-type-news","tag-contentid-1c688981-dd03-42b7-a67a-3743b7e15be4","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-entertainment","tag-issyndicated-false","tag-locale-gb","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-shorttitle-nicola-coughlans-emotional-channel-4-drama-releases-trailer","tag-sponsored-false","tag-tv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/641901","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=641901"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/641901\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/641902"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=641901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=641901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=641901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}