{
  "id": 11947374,
  "title": "Ted Lasso's Hannah Waddingham Had A Small Role In A Popular Primetime Soap Opera",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/ted-lassos-hannah-waddingham-had-a-small-role-in-a-popular-primetime",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-04T14:52:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TVLine",
    "slug": "tvline",
    "url": "https://www.tvline.com/2273769/ted-lasso-hannah-waddingham-primetime-soap-opera-brookside/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Hannah Waddingham, known for her iconic role in the popular American primetime show Ted Lasso, also had a small part in the influential British soap opera Brookside. Although her time on Brookside was limited, the series was groundbreaking for its inclusion of an openly gay character in 1985 and an on-screen lesbian kiss. Waddingham appeared in three episodes of Brookside in 2002, just a year before the show's final season. Her limited screen time consisted of suggestive photos of her character being posted on a mechanic's website, with the audience only seeing pictures of her on a computer screen. Despite this brief role, Waddingham's career took off, leading to appearances in various British shows and eventually landing her the lead role in Ted Lasso. Her Emmy-winning performance in Ted Lasso has established her as one of the most sought-after stars in the world.",
  "summary": "Hannah Waddingham won over TV viewers' hearts as Rebecca on Ted Lasso, but before she got her hands on AFC Richmond, she was in a long-running British soap.",
  "key_points": [
    "Hannah Waddingham starred in Ted Lasso and Brookside.",
    "Played minor role in Brookside in 2002, three episodes.",
    "Known for openly gay character and on-screen lesbian kiss in Brookside."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}