Hannah Waddingham is everywhere you look these days, from her starring role in the Emmy-winning series Ted Lasso to her Eurovision hosting gig.
It's safe to say that Hannah really has won over the hearts of the public - most recently impressing Eurovision viewers with her perfect French last weekend.
But things might have been very different for the actor if she hadn't made a heartfelt plea with the universe about her daughter Kitty.
Advert
Hannah's eight-year-old daughter, who she shares with ex-partner Gianluca Cugnetto, suffered from an auto-immune disorder called Henoch-Schönlein Purpura.
The disorder causes small blood vessels in the skin, joints, and organs to become inflamed and bleed, and is most likely to affect children under the age of ten.
While the disorder isn't typically life-threatening, in some cases it can lead to kidney damage and bowel obstruction, according to Mayo Clinic.
Hannah revealed that, before she booked Ted Lasso, she had begged the universe for a job close to home so that she could spend more time taking care of her daughter.
In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres back in 2021, she revealed: "My little girl had been very ill when she was younger. And I went out into my garden and I thought, 'I'm gonna ask the universe for something.' Which is probably unreasonable.
"But I said, 'Thank you for making my girl better... Thank you for what you've given me already, but can I please ask you for something that is close to home so that I can do my main role, which is to be mama.
"And also, could I ask that it's something that really shows what I can do. And I hope that's not asking too much.'
"And two months later, this meeting [for Ted Lasso] came in."
It would seem the universe really delivered on this one since, not only is Ted Lasso filmed in the UK, but it's only half an hour away from Hannah's home. Talk about meant to be!
Hannah also spoke about the universe's divine delivery in an interview with People, recalling the moment she realised her wish was going to be granted.
"I had a two-hour chemistry read with Jason [Sudeikis] and I asked, 'Where are you shooting?' He said 'Richmond.' I said 'Virginia?' And he went, 'Richmond in England,'" she shared.
"In that moment, I just thought, 'please bring me this role.'" After learning she landed it, "I had to get off the phone and mop up my face in my car knowing that my life had just changed."
And, of course most importantly, Hannah has been able to tell her story more openly as of late because her daughter Kitty is thankfully 'much better now'.
She said: "I can talk about it now, but I couldn't for a very long time."
Topics: TV and Film, Celebrity
Ali Condon