23 May 2023 , 13:47
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Eurovision host Hannah Waddingham discovered she was pregnant while filming ITV sitcom Benidorm.
The Ted Lasso actress, 48, had been told it was unlikely she would conceive and was shocked when she found out she was expecting after doing a medical for the show.
Speaking to the White Wine Question Time podcast in 2021 about how she found out she was pregnant, Hannah - who played Tonya Dyke in the Spain-set comedy, said: "Just kind of by accident really.
"I did my medical for Benidorm and I got a letter back saying "blood type this, blah blah that, fertility low, deh deh deh".
"And I was like "woah, woah, woah, what?". It was just on a form."
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Hannah went onto have her daughter Kitty, eight, with her ex Gianluca Cugnetto.
Eurovision host Hannah Waddingham discovered she was pregnant while filming ITV sitcom Benidorm (Kevin Parry/REX/Shutterstock)The actress said she was grateful for her screen work during her pregnancy after performing in the theatre six days a week.
Explaining Benidorm producer Derren Litten offered her the role after her stint in Kiss Me Kate at the Old Vic, she credited the writer for 'getting her into comedy'.
Hannah went on to portray Septa Unella in Game of Thrones, filming nine weeks after giving birth.
She then went on to audition for the role of Rebecca Welton in Netflix's Ted Lasso, which is shot in Richmond, half an hour from her home.
The actress shares her daughter with her ex, Gianluca Cugnetto (Instagram/ @hannah_waddingham)
Kitty is eight (Instagram/ @hannah_waddingham)Hannah stunned fans when she presented the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool earlier this month.
During the semi-finals of the competition she opened the show with Alesha Dixon and Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina before announcing the rules of the proceedings in French.
Viewers were bowled over by her hidden talent, with one saying: "Hannah Waddingham speaking French, Maybe I'm not gay."
While another mused: "People train their entire lives to be as effortlessly charismatic and likeable as Hannah Waddingham #eurovision."
Hannah played Tonya Dyke in BenidormThe actress, who trained at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, made a dig at the music industry during the show after Austria's Teya & Salena took to the stage to sing their entry Who The Hell Is Edgar?
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The song is said to slam music streaming sites as Hannah remarked after their performance: "By the way, please let's never forget that a song starts with a writer and a dream and look what they create for us all."
She added: "Let's hear it for the songwriters," which was met with cheers from the audience - which was still reeling from her French.