TED Lasso star Hannah Waddingham enjoyed a secret romance with musical tenor Alfie Boe.
The couple were together when she hosted the Eurovision Song Contest this year — but have now called time on their relationship.
Meanwhile, The Sun can also reveal that Hannah’s agent was formally approached by ITV in the summer over the possibility of appearing on This Morning as a regular presenter.
Last night a source said: “Hannah and Alfie have moved in similar circles for years, but both had partners at different times.
“Towards the end of last year they went on a couple of dinners at places like Scott’s in Richmond — where Ted Lasso is set.
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“With Hannah’s career massively in the ascendancy, she was keen to let her work, not personal life, do the talking so they deliberately kept things quiet.
“It was especially hard to keep things under wraps during the madness of Eurovision when all the spotlight was on her.
“But they managed to sneak Alfie in backstage and kept things low-key.
“Things have fizzled out but they remain on friendly terms.”
Three years ago the pair performed on screen together in a West End video collaboration of Vera Lynn’s We’ll Meet Again.
Hannah, 49, has had a meteoric rise to fame in the last few years.
Originally a West End actress, Hannah later landed roles in the 2012 Les Mis film, Netflix hit Sex Education and Game of Thrones.
But her big break came in the form of Apple TV’s Ted Lasso, for which she won an Emmy.
The fictional AFC Richmond hit series propelled her to a new level of stardom.
Hannah, who currently stars in the M&S Christmas ad, has an eight-year-old daughter with her hotelier ex, Gianluca Cugnetto.
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Alfie, 50, best known for his performances as Jean Valjean in the Les Mis 25th anniversary and on Broadway, announced his split from wife, Sarah, in 2020.
An ITV insider said: “Hannah is a huge Hollywood star and would, of course, be welcome on the This Morning sofa.
“Some conversations with her team were had in the summer to see what her availability might be.
“But since then, she’s obviously become even more in demand so, realistically, will not replace Holly Willoughby in the new year.”
