United Kingdom, July 2 -- Simone Ashley used to be too "afraid" to leave her house for fear of being recognised, after Bridgerton catapulted her to global fame.

The 30-year-old actress - who plays Kate Bridgerton in the Netflix megahit - suffered from "a lot of anxiety" at the time, but nowadays she "doesn't care as much".

Speaking to Harper's Bazaar magazine, she said: "When Bridgerton came out, those were some of the best years of my life, but I also had a lot of anxiety.

"I was coming to terms with what I wanted and what I didn't, learning lessons about what really matters to me, taming my ego, listening to my heart ... life has changed and there are certain things I can and can't do now.

"There was a time when I didn't leave the h...