The beloved TV drama series Outlander, famed for its steamy scenes, has seen a shift in how intimate moments are handled on-screen, according to lead actor Caitriona Balfe.

Now in its seventh season since debuting in 2014, Balfe, hailing from County Monaghan, has not only starred in over 65 episodes as the main character but also produced 12.

She’s at the centre of many of the show’s sultry scenes and has praised the introduction of an intimacy coordinator as a game-changer for ensuring everyone’s comfort during filming.

Speaking at the ATX TV Festival, Balfe admitted her initial reservations about the need for such a role, saying: “We’ve also started working with the most incredible intimacy co-ordinator and it’s amazing because I probably was one of the people like ‘I don’t think we need that, we’ve been doing this ourselves and figuring it out for a while’.”

However, she now views the position as invaluable, adding: “But actually I think it’s been so beneficial and it’s helped us, and there are other scenes with other characters, some I’ve been involved in, and some with our younger actors too.”

Balfe elaborated on the positive impact, noting: “It helps you create the storytelling in a way where everybody’s on board, everybody knows exactly what’s happening, we’re all on the same page.”

She likened the process to choreographing fight scenes, concluding: “Just like you would do with fight co-ordination or whatever and it’s really helped.”

“Vanessa (Coffey, the intimacy co-ordinator) is such an amazing addition to our family as well, she’s just been really great.”

Fans of the show should brace themselves as Part 2 of Season 7 of Outlander is set to premiere soon.