Hannah Waddingham resigns as the host of the BBC Proms

Hannah Waddingham has announced that she will no longer be hosting the BBC Fantasy, Myths And Legends Prom at the Royal Albert Hall as an act of solidarity with the ongoing Hollywood actors’ strike. The actress and singer, renowned for her role in the Bafta-winning Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso, expressed her decision to step down “respectfully.”

In a social media post just before the event, she conveyed, “Hey guys, I very sadly won’t be able to host tonight’s @bbcproms ‘Fantasy, Myths and Legends’. It will be a magical night, but due to my ongoing support for the @sagaftra strike, I must respectfully step down.”

Waddingham is eagerly anticipating her swift return to the @RoyalAlbertHall, concluding her message with, “I look forward to being back at @RoyalAlbertHall PDQ (pretty darn quickly)! Xx H.”

The Fantasy, Myths And Legends Prom is set to showcase music from major franchises like Harry Potter, Star Wars, Lord Of The Rings, and Game Of Thrones, in which Waddingham herself appeared. She was previously part of the BBC Proms in 2016 and also hosted the 2023 Olivier Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in April.

Waddingham’s prominence has risen notably due to her role in Ted Lasso and her co-hosting duties for the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. Alongside her fellow Ted Lasso cast members, she has actively shown support for the ongoing strike by the US actors union Sag-Aftra and the Writers Guild of America (WGA). Waddingham has been photographed participating in picket lines in the US, where members of both organizations have been striking since May 2 and July 14 respectively, impacting various productions and events.