It’s a moment viewers were so keen to see that they stayed up all night, took the day off work and even reduced them to tears.

After weeks of anticipation, the ultimate bonkbuster, Bridgerton returned on Thursday, with fans finally able to witness show leads Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton’s (Luke Newton) friends to lovers arc.

Akin to Den Watts serving Angie with divorce papers and Hilda Ogden leaving Weatherfield, the nation held its breath as they waited to see how the couple would fare in their racy moments after viewers were promised the ‘steamiest season yet’.

Yet even the most diehard fans were no doubt left choking on their cornflakes when part two of season three was released at 8am on Netflix.

Just 15 minutes into the period drama, viewers were faced with an explicit six-minute long s3x scene featuring the show leads.

Episode five of Bridgerton features a six-minute long s3x scene between Penelope Featherington ( Nicola Coughlan ) and Colin Bridgerton’s (Luke Newton)

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Fans were treated to the racy scene on Thursday morning when the final four episodes were released by Netflix

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Nicola went topless in the racy scene as her co-star admired her nak3d figure

It was by far the raciest moment to ever feature on the period drama – no mean feat given the show has previously aired threesomes.

And it was definitely a sight for sore (and tired) eyes after fans revealed they had missed out on sleep in excitement in order to watch the show immediately upon its release.

Viewers have been left in limbo for a month after the first part of the season ended on a cliffhanger, with Colin asking Penelope for her hand in marriage.

Fans of the fictional pair, lovingly dubbed ‘Polin’, were therefore ecstatic when the pair not only became engaged but indulged in a passionate s3x scene.

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 undoes her corset and admires her nak3d 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 s3x, with Penelope asking at the end ‘can we do it again?’ to which Colin quipped: ‘give me 5 minutes, maybe 10.’

The racy scene lasted a total of six minutes – which was the combined length of all the steamy moments in part one.

While the most shocking, Colin and Penelope’s scene wasn’t the first steamy moment in part two.

Less than five minutes into episode five, Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) was seen in bed with widow, Lady Tilley Arnold but their antics remained firmly under the covers.

However later, Benedict is faced with a tempting s3xual offer, after Lady Tilley Arnold reveals to him that her fellow partner Mr Suarez has expressed an interest in Benedict.

Torn over his decision, Benedict decides to accept the proposal on Colin and Penelope’s wedding night.

As Lady Tilley and Mr Suarez enters, Benedict says: ‘I have been thinking about your offer.’

As Lady Tilley asks: ‘And?’ Benedict seductively kisses her, before locking eyes with Mr Suarez before the two men engage in a passionate kiss before the scene cuts.

Eager viewers said 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.

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.

Nicola and Luke previously revealing that they filmed so many romps that by the end they were comfortable lounging around together nak3d between takes.

The Derry Girls star previously revealed: ‘I think we’ve won the sauciness for this series!’ as she detailed the s3x scenes.

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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

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

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

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Nicola recently joked: ‘You know, it is hard, because I think women with my body type – women with perfect breasts – we don’t get to see ourselves on screen enough’

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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

She teased what fans can expect to see, telling Entertainment Weekly: ‘We did break a piece of furniture while doing one scene. It’s a little bit like a stunt in which they’re like, ‘Okay, we’re gonna do this, this, and this.

‘But then they gave us freedom and we had a lot of say in how we did those scenes and what we wanted to do. That makes you feel quite empowered.

‘So we felt super. They were actually really enjoyable. I didn’t think they would be. It was fun.’

She also revealed in an interview with the Radio Times: ‘There is one where I am very nak3d on camera and that was my idea, my choice.

‘It just felt like the biggest ‘f*** you’ to all the conversations surrounding my body. It was amazingly empowering. Having now watched those scenes, I’m so proud of them.’

When recently told she was ‘brave’ to film the s3x scenes, Nicola joked in response: ‘You know, it is hard, because I think women with my body type – women with perfect breasts – we don’t get to see ourselves on screen enough, and I’m very proud as a member of the perfect breasts community.’

Despite her confidence now, the actress previously admitted she was initially terrified to film s3x scenes with Luke .

She said on The One Show: ‘It’s not one to watch with the family. Take of that what you will.

‘It was terrifying. I am an Irish woman, and any Irish woman would feel like they can’t do this. And then I went and realised, it’s my job so I better.

‘I had a great partner, and it was terrifying, but really liberating. I was exhausted by the end.’

Nicola also confirmed that she and co-star Luke got ‘so comfortable’ that they would lounge together nak3d in between filming s3x scenes.

While the most shocking, Colin and Penelope’s scene wasn’t the first steamy moment in part two

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Less than five minutes into episode five, Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) was seen in bed with widow, Lady Tilley Arnold but their antics remained firmly under the covers

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Benedict is faced with a tempting s3xual offer, after Lady Tilley Arnold reveals to him that her fellow partner Mr Suarez has expressed an interest in Benedict

As Lady Tilley and Mr Suarez enters, Benedict says: ‘I have been thinking about your offer.’ As Lady Tilley asks: ‘And?’ Benedict seductively kisses her before locking eyes with Mr Suarez before the two men engage in a passionate kiss before the scene cuts

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The threesome are revisited in episode eight as they are seen taking off each other’s clothes as Benedict takes it in turns kissing each of them

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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

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

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Nicola and Luke attended the premiere for the part 2 series 3 premiere on Wednesday night

In part one of season three, fans were treated to an update on married life for series two’s main characters Lord Anthony and Kate Sharma.

In fact, Anthony and Kate are in the first s3x scene of the new series, which takes places 31 minutes into the first episode.

Fans were thrilled to see series two’s main characters Lord Anthony and Kate Sharma return in series three, after the close of the previous season saw the fan favourite couple marry.

The new episodes see the newlyweds enjoying married life after returning home from their honeymoon.

Elsewhere Alice Mondrich (Emma Naomi) and Will Mondrich (Martins Imhangbe) also shared a very steamy kiss in the first four episodes.

And Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) was seen embarking on a secret affair with widow, Lady Tilley Arnold (Hannah New), despite an age gap.

Meanwhile, Colin has two threesomes – but to viewers disappointment, neither included Penelope.

The bachelor returned from his world travels and was keen to continue to enjoy the single life, visiting various women for steamy encounters, including two threesomes.

Colin and Penelope’s passion was instead a slow burner as the pair slowly came to realise their true feelings for one another.

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Colin and Penelope’s passion was a slow burner in the first part as the pair slowly came to realise their true feelings for one another

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In fact, Anthony and Kate were in the first s3x scene of the new series, which took place 31 minutes into the first episode

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Series three saw the newlyweds enjoying married life after returning home from their honeymoon

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Colin had two threesomes in the beginning of season three – but to viewers disappointment, neither included Penelope

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Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) was seen embarking on a secret affair with widow, Lady Tilley Arnold (Hannah New), despite an age gap

Colin was seen having a racy dream about his friend in episode three after the two share a brief but passionate kiss, leaving the bachelor very confused about his feelings.

Seeing his friend in his dreams, Colin imagines more sizzling interactions with Penelope.

He was later involved in another threesome but couldn’t help thinking about his friend.

Season three ended on a steamy cliffhanger as after being unable to think of anyone else, Colin eventually declared his love for Penelope in a carriage after she was left heartbroken by Lord Debling.

The pair finally gave into their passions, with Colin lifting up Penelope’s dress in the back of the carriage for a very steamy finale.

While Bridgerton may still be bringing the s3x factor, a recent study has shown that audiences are ditching sultrier selections for ‘squeaky clean’ content in recent years.

Data shows that the level of explicit content in film has dramatically fallen by almost 40 per cent since 2000, as Hollywood and its increasingly prudish viewers have a fresh reckoning with s3x on screen.

The study by data researcher Stephen Follows looked at the 250 highest-grossing movies in the United States for each year since 2000, tracking their s3xual content with the help of sources including film database IMDb and the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).

In a striking finding, almost half the films released last year featured no s3xual content, while the proportion in 2000 was less than a fifth, according to the analysis, which was first published in The Economist.

The biggest decline in s3xual content was seen in thriller and action films, with a 70 per cent drop over more than two decades.

By contrast, the number of scenes involving drinking, drugs, violence or foul language remain higher than those featuring s3x.

However, some of Hollywood’s most renowned movies – blockbusters and cult classics alike – are known for graphic (if not at times controversial) s3x scenes and motifs.

From Sharon Stone’s infamous leg cross in Basic Instinct to Reese Witherspoon and Sarah Michelle Gellar’s kiss in Cruel Intentions, sultry moments were rife and many across cinema up until the noughties.

Bridgerton season 3 episodes 5 and 6 review: After weeks of anticipation, Penelope FINALLY gets her way with Colin… but how much longer can she keep him in ignorance? CHRISTOPHER STEVENS writes 

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Etiquette demands an English gentleman should always remove his socks before performing The Deed. But as Bridgerton finally reached its climactic moment, Lady Whistledown was completely nak3d – while her lover still wore his riding boots.

Stars Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton have been promising for weeks that this time, in two newly released episodes, Bridgerton goes all the way. And they weren’t fibbing… though, for such an explicit s3x scene, it was also oddly chaste.

She plays shy, bookish Penelope, who leads a secret double life as the gossip-writer Lady W. He is her childhood friend, Colin Bridgerton, now her besotted fiance, who has no idea about her alter ego – and who nurses a furious loathing for the Whistledown scandal sheet.

How much longer she can keep him in ignorance, and what fireworks there’ll be when he discovers the truth, is the chief source of tension in this big-budget Regency romance.

We last saw the loved-up couple declaring their passion for each other during a steamy carriage ride. Devotees of real 19th century romance will know this scene was shamelessly stolen from Flaubert’s novel of domestic infidelity, Madame Bovary.

Bridgerton stars Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton have been promising for weeks that this time, in two newly released episodes, Bridgerton goes all the way

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Colin undresses Penelope in front of a mirror so he can admire her before he has so much as removed his waistcoat

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Penelope is powerless to resist – though his lordship is impeccably conscientious about applying for her permission before every kiss.

But that literary fumble ended in dutiful self-restraint and a proposal of marriage. This time, there is no holding back.

Following a row with her mother (this is essentially a teen romance, after all) the couple retreat to the Belgravia rooms they will share when they are married. He makes an impassioned declaration of adoration, in very 21st century language: ‘You make me feel seen in ways I have never felt seen before.’

And then, as she quivers in expectation, he reverts to the more traditional metaphors of Dame Barbara Cartland: ‘Your eyes shine like two blue pools, the firmness of your lips parted just so, the softness of your skin…’

After that, naturally, Penelope is powerless to resist – though his lordship is impeccably conscientious about applying for her permission before every kiss. ‘You must tell me to stop if you do not wish for this,’ he urges.

Were there ever four less erotic words than, ‘Reader, he obtained consent’?

Compare this to the moment in Poldark when Cap’n Ross bursts into the bedchamber of his arch-enemy’s wife Elizabeth, and ravishes her despite her half-hearted attempts to refuse him. But then, whatever else he was, Poldark was no gentleman.

Colin undresses Penelope in front of a mirror so he can admire her before he has so much as removed his waistcoat. Then he performs a striptease for her, before they subside onto a chaise longue.

He flashes his bum, she bares her boobs, just so we can be in no doubt that The Deed is about to take place. ‘May I?’ he requests.

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He flashes his bum, she bares her boobs, just so we can be in no doubt that The Deed is about to take place. ‘May I?’ he requests

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But instead of cutting away discreetly, as Dame Barbara would insist, we’re with the happy couple all the way to the end, so to speak

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We last saw the loved-up couple declaring their passion for each other during a steamy carriage ride

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Devotees of real 19th century romance will know this scene was shamelessly stolen from Flaubert’s novel of domestic infidelity, Madame Bovary

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Afterwards, they share the joke that has made newlyweds giggle for centuries. ‘Can we do it again?’ she asks

But instead of cutting away discreetly, as Dame Barbara would insist, we’re with the happy couple all the way to the end, so to speak. Thankfully, they’re covered by a discreet blue silk drape, probably supplied by the Netflix ‘intimacy co-ordinator’.

Afterwards, they share the joke that has made newlyweds giggle for centuries. ‘Can we do it again?’ she asks.

‘Give me five minutes,’ he pleads. ‘Maybe ten.’

For the rest of the episode, there’s precious little to hold our interest, because most of the chief characters are so boringly happy. Colin’s big brother and his bride are blissfully married, his little sister is being courted by an earl, and both Penelope’s sisters are contentedly pregnant.

Only Claudia Jessie as Eloise Bridgerton can inject any drama, because she is sulking furiously. There’s a game of charades, played for high stakes, before Eloise threatens to expose Lady W’s secret to her brother.

What she doesn’t know is that Penelope has already exposed everything else to Colin. Oh, the scandal!