Pop Culture Advent 2023: Door 6
Hannah Waddingham
One thing I love is the end of year pop culture round ups (which is why I started my own!). One lady that I’ve no doubt will be featuring on many lists, is Hannah Waddingham, who has had an absolutely cracking year.
If you follow musical theatre, you may have been aware of her for a while now, thanks to her roles in shows such as The Beautiful Game, Into the woods, and Spamalot.
Or perhaps you spotted in her as Septa Unella aka The Shame Nun in Game of Thrones. Prior to that, Waddingham guested on shows such as Agatha Christie’s Marple, Doctors, and Benidorm. This was followed by her role as Football club owner, Rebecca Welton in Ted Lasso, which arguably was her most high profile role to that point.
However, it’s 2023 where she graduated into full blown national treasure.
There was this monologue in one of the last episodes of Ted Lasso. (with beautiful violin playing by Nick Mohammad)
Here she is hosting The Oliviers
Who could forget her star making turn as co-host of Eurovision? She brought many brilliant things to the hosting team, most notably speaking in fluent French:
Hannah Waddingham’s next trick was to become the UK’s Mariah Carey, complete with a mega watt, all singing, all dancing, Christmas special on Apple+. I’ve seen it, and honestly – chefs kiss.
Somehow she managed to fit in not one, but TWO Christmas adverts.
Then she nipped to the states to take part in THUNDERGONG! a night devoted to raising money for the Steps of Faith foundation, who provide treatment for amputees. It was on that night that Waddingham dueted with Ted Lasso himself, Jason Sudeikis, on the most powerful, emotionally-stressful anthem of them all, Shallow from the Lady Gaga A Star is Born.
One common theme I’ve seen during the coverage of the Hannah-nessance, is “oh wow what a overnight success”, completely overlooking that Waddingham’s career is the result of well over a decade’s hard graft.
Next up, she will co-star with Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt in The Fall Guy, is a voice in the upcoming Garfield movie, and will be in the next Mission Impossible.
You enjoy every bit of your success Hannah Waddingham – you deserve it.
