Hannah Waddingham Reveals ‘Love-Hate Relationship’ With Jason Sudeikis Over ‘Ted Lasso’ Script Changes

Hannah Waddingham is giving fans a candid look at what it’s like to work with Ted Lasso co-creator Jason Sudeikis as the Apple TV series gears up for its fourth season.

In a Variety interview published Saturday, May 30, Waddingham, 51, discussed the ongoing push-and-pull between herself and Sudeikis when it comes to scripts. “There’s always going to be a bit of give-and-take within a scene, because of the nature of how Sudeikis works,” she told the outlet. “He hears it in the room, and then we tweak. With that boy, you’ve got to roll with the punches. He and I have an ongoing love-hate relationship that he changes it last minute.”

As Star previously reported, Sudeikis will be getting paid more than he ever has for the fourth season of the show, which follows the ups and downs of AFC Richmond, a fictional English soccer team.

According to Waddingham, however, the actor’s creative process remains much the same. Per Variety, Season 3 was delayed due to production issues, including, reportedly, Sudeikis’ extensive rewrites, and Waddingham made clear that spontaneity remains baked into the show’s DNA.

Still, the Emmy-winning actress made no secret of how much the show means to her. During the interview, she described the idea of never playing AFC Richmond owner Rebecca Welton again as feeling “like losing a pal” — and said she always suspected Ted Lasso would come back after season 3’s May 2023 finale. “Because that’s too much of a cliffhanger to be had,” she told the outlet.

Her costar Brett Goldstein, who plays Roy Kent on the series, revealed he was already a devoted fan of Waddingham’s long before they ever shared a set. “I’d seen her in a number of musicals before I met her,” Goldstein, 45, told the outlet. “I was so excited to work with her that I probably came across as a stalker at the first read-through. Luckily, I didn’t scare her off. I am a huge Hannah stan.”

Waddingham, for her part, said the cast remains remarkably close off-screen, noting it would feel “odd” if a week passed without hearing from at least one of them.

As for whether Ted Lasso will finally deliver a romantic storyline between Rebecca and Ted, Waddingham shut that down diplomatically. “I love that we buck against the norm,” she said, per the report. “And they are undoubtedly soulmates, but that can mean a myriad of things.”