Derry Girls star Nicola Coughlan is ‘grieving’ wee lesbian Claire ahead of final season

Nicola Coughlan as Derry Girls' Clare, in school uniform and headband

Nicola Coughlan is finding it hard to say goodbye to her iconic “wee lesbian” character Clare Devlin as fans prepare to enjoy the third and final season of Derry Girls.

The Bafta-nominated sitcom returns to Channel 4 on 12 April and viewers can’t enjoy the final escapades of the Our Lady Immaculate College gang.

However, Coughlan and co-star Jamie-Lee O’Donnell are still struggling to accept the fact their characters’ stories have officially come to an end.

“It’s a weird thing, grief, saying goodbye to a character,” Coughlan told Newsletter.co.uk. “It’s a really strange thing that’s very hard to explain to people. I mean, Clare Devlin is a mess, but I love her and I will miss her very much.”

O’Donnell agreed as she added: “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to fully say goodbye in my head.”

Due to a scheduling conflict while filming Bridgerton, Coughlan’s role has been reduced in the final series. However, the actress promised that “fans of the show are going to be happy” despite the changes.

A press release for the third season says that in series three, “viewers will see that while Northern Ireland is growing up this gang of eejits certainly aren’t anytime soon.

“While there’s hope in the air that The Troubles may finally be over, their troubles are only just getting started as they get ever closer to ‘adulthood'”.

In the official trailer, a montage of clips, Orla, Erin, Michelle, James and Clare are as chaotic as ever while they live normal teenage lives.