Hannah Waddingham, the 48-year-old Ted Lasso star who recently charmed millions as a Eurovision host, has been spotted giving red carpet coaching to her surgeon boyfriend. The actress, known for her towering 5ft 11in frame and effervescent personality, was seen offering tips to her partner at a glamorous event in London.
Waddingham, who shot to fame playing Rebecca Welton in the Apple TV+ series, has become a household name since her big break in 2019. The show earned her two Emmy Awards and even a trip to the White House to meet President Joe Biden. Her recent stint as a Eurovision co-host, alongside Graham Norton, Alesha Dixon and Julia Sanina, drew a global audience of 160 million and sent her Instagram followers soaring to 667,000.
The actress, who shares a daughter with former partner Gianluca Cugnetto, is reportedly happily single despite the red carpet appearance with her boyfriend. She has spoken candidly about her journey from West End musicals to international stardom, noting that she never had a plan B. 'The force has always been strong,' she said. 'If your job isn’t singing or dancing, what do you do?'
Waddingham’s rise to fame was not without its challenges. Despite Olivier nominations for her stage work in Spamalot, Kiss Me, Kate and A Little Night Music, she faced snobbery when trying to break into TV and film. Her mother, Melodie Kelly, was an opera singer who performed with the English National Opera for 27 years, and Waddingham spent much of her childhood at the Coliseum in London’s West End.
Now, with her career at its peak, Waddingham continues to captivate audiences. Celebrity fans like Carol Vorderman and Nigella Lawson have publicly praised her, with Vorderman writing: 'Can I just vote for Hannah Waddingham to be on everything on the telly at all times please?'
