Florence Pugh and Finn Cole have made their first red carpet appearance together. The couple, both 30, posed side by side at a screening of In The Shadows during the BFI London Film Festival on Friday 9 October at Vue West End. Their joint arrival was one of the most photographed moments of the festival’s opening days.
Pugh wore a sparkling lavender and silver dress for the occasion, while Cole chose a brown suit. The evening belonged to Cole professionally. In The Shadows is inspired by the true story of Ramla Ali, described as Britain’s first female Muslim boxing champion, with Jasmine Jobson in the lead role. Cole plays Richard, Ramla’s husband, who converted to Islam. The film’s subject gave the evening extra weight, as it brings a little-known sporting story to the screen. Jobson’s casting places her at the centre of the film, with Cole in a key supporting role.
The pair have been linked since 2024 but have rarely been seen together in public and have kept the relationship largely private. In 2025, Pugh left flirtatious comments on Cole’s social media posts, which fuelled speculation that they were dating. Later that year, Cole attended the premiere of Pugh’s film Thunderbolts alongside members of her family, one of the few times they were photographed at the same event.
Pugh discussed the relationship in a Vogue interview in September. “I don’t want to be a secret,” she said, while explaining why she prefers to keep some things private. She described the relationship as making her feel solid, safe and sturdy, and said that what matters most is that they are happy. She also recalled asking Cole whether he would come up in the interview, to which he jokingly offered to pop by.
The week before the screening, the couple were spotted spending a day out together in New York City, around the release of East of Eden. Their decision to step on to a red carpet together in London suggests they are now more comfortable being seen as a couple. Photographs of the pair spread quickly online, where fans welcomed the public appearance after two years of guesswork about the relationship. For the actors, the night was also a chance to celebrate Cole’s role in a film based on a true story.
