Hannah Waddingham, the statuesque star of Ted Lasso, has made a rare and candid admission about her life as a single mother, revealing that she made a conscious decision not to adopt a 'poor me' mentality.
The 51-year-old actress, who is a national treasure in the UK, became a single parent when her daughter Kitty was just two years old. She described this period as a defining moment that could have seen her either sink or swim.
In an interview with Women's Health magazine, for which she is the cover star, Waddingham explained: "In that moment, your career could falter because you're left holding the baby. But I found in myself a strength. I thought, 'No, I'm not going to sit in the corner with a duvet over my head and think, Oh, poor me.' I'm going to come out fighting because I know that I have so much to give in my career."
She proudly added: "I talk about [single motherhood] all the time because it's not the same as two parents. I know that sounds ridiculous and obvious, but I think people forget it. People go, 'Oh yes, I'm by myself most of the time.' But that's not the same as being sole provider. She is undoubtedly my greatest achievement because of that."
Waddingham shares 11-year-old Kitty with her ex-partner, Italian hotelier Gianluca Cugnetto, whom she was with for a decade before their split in 2022, around the same time her career skyrocketed.
The actress, who looks incredible in the cover shoot, also revealed that she receives many compliments about her toned arms and shared her workout secrets. "I'd be lying if I said I did a lot. Just callisthenics [with] my own body weight and some light weights for 20 minutes in the morning. But I've always said to my friends: activate your muscles – every day. People are very lovely; they talk about my arms. I just keep activated. And never underestimate the value of doing squats the whole time you're brushing your teeth."
Known for her iconic performances in shows like Game of Thrones and Sex Education, it was her award-winning turn as fearless businesswoman Rebecca Welton in Ted Lasso that truly defined her career. She previously admitted she had been waiting to play that role her whole life.
The show, which returns for its fourth season this August, follows Jason Sudeikis as the titular character, an American college football coach hired to manage professional English soccer team AFC Richmond despite having zero experience. Being cast as Rebecca, Waddingham told Women's Health, was not only a huge career moment but also a step towards financial independence.
"It was a turning point in terms of being seen for the first time as not just a tall, bigger woman, but someone who has the same foibles, insecurities, vulnerabilities as anyone. But also the financial support I received at that moment…being able to stand on my own two feet with my daughter."
She also expressed hope that fans will embrace the new season as much as they did the first three, noting that the female cast this time around "deserve people to lean in." "They walked in and owned it immediately – so I'm very reassured by the younger generation of female actors coming up; they've got it and then some."
Waddingham, who fuelled romance rumours at the Cheltenham Races in March with her handsome date, spine surgeon Nick Beresford-Cleary, will also star in the upcoming Amazon Prime series Ride Or Die. This high-octane comedy action thriller co-stars Octavia Spencer and Bill Nighy, with Waddingham playing Judith, an assassin whose double life implodes, forcing her to drag her best friend into a high-stakes escape.
She did not shy away from the intensely physical aspects of the role, performing all her own stunts despite sustaining several injuries. "I gave myself fully to the stunts. I'd work on a stunt for a week and then shoot it, then the next day I'd have to learn the next one. I was like, 'Guys, I'm mangled – can we just leave it a minute?' At one point, I had a fairly gnarly calf injury in my gastrocnemius muscle, which was horrific. [There were times when] I thought, 'What on earth have you got yourself involved with, woman?' But when I watch it back, I can't believe I did it…when I was on set and they shouted 'Action!', I was a beast."
The full interview with Hannah Waddingham can be read in the June issue of Women's Health UK, on sale now.
