Nicola Coughlan reveals the real reason she doesn’t have social media on her phone

Nicola addressed the intense scrutiny surrounding her personal life

The Galway native appears in the latest adaptation of Enid Blyton’s The Magic Faraway Tree, where she plays the gentle fairy Silky, starring opposite Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy.

Nicola recently told the BBC that she rarely uses social media and keeps the apps off her phone as well.

"I just download social media to post something," she explained, "Then delete it straight away as it can have a really negative impact."

The comments follow her recent criticism of the media spotlight she has been under since her breakthrough on Derry Girls.

Late last year, Nicola Coughlan addressed the intense scrutiny surrounding her personal life.

Speaking to the Guardian at the time, Nicola said: "Imagine if you had an evening at the pub and then you walked around, talking, having a lovely time.

"And a few days later, you see pictures of that."

She went on to add that the violation is "immense."

The pictures Nicola is referring to were released by an anonymous celebrity gossip blog, DeuxMoi.

Fans were quick to come to Nicola's defence, condemning DeuxMoi for the breach of privacy.

One user wrote: "These photos feel like a massive invasion of privacy," with another adding: "She looks so upset… Hope you feel happy with yourself for invading someone else’s privacy."

The Magic Faraway Tree lands in cinemas this Friday, March 27.

Written by Simon Farnaby and directed by Ben Gregor, the film follows a modern family played by Claire Foy and Andrew Garfield who move to the countryside, grow closer and stumble across a bit of magic.