Hannah Waddingham looks unrecognisable in first major acting role see throwback

The Ted Lasso star was 25 years old when she made her West End debut

Hannah Waddingham is returning to our screens in her Apple TV+ Christmas special later this month – and we can't wait for thestar to bring the festive cheer with her hour-long extravaganza. 

It's been a big year for Hannah. Not only did she bid farewell to her character Rebecca Welton in the third and final season, but she also co-hosted the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. 

While Hannah found fame through her roles in , and of course, , she has been a leading lady on stage for over 20 years. The London-born star made her West End debut in a production of Charles Aznavour'sin 2000 – and she looks completely different! 

The then-25-year-old can be seen donning red hair in a photo taken of a performance at the Shaftsbury Theatre. Hannah played the role of Suzanne Valadon in the musical, starring alongside Sevan Stephan.

From there, Hannah went on to portray Christine Warner in Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton's, before playing the role of Satan in at the Victoria Palace Theatre.

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  Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham's 5 best TV shows

The performer has since starred in productions of, and , for which she earned an Olivier Award nomination.

As for her screen career, Hannah landed her first TV role in the 2000 sitcom. She then went on to appear in episodes of and

In 2014, she played the role of Tonya in the ITV comedy series, , before gaining wider fame for her portrayal of Septa Unella, the iconic 'Shame Nun', in seasons five and six of Game of Thrones.

Soon afterwards, Hannah landed a recurring role in Netflix's , playing Jackson's mum, Sophia Marchetti.

Her most notable performance, however, came in 2020 when she played Rebecca Welton in Apple TV+'s hit comedy-drama, , which ran for three seasons. 

Since then, Hannah has appeared in 2, the ITV miniseries and the animated sitcom,

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In March this year, Hannah was announced as part of the cast for the untitled eighth

All you need to know about Hannah Waddingham's Christmas special 

Hannah will be ringing in the holidays with her Apple TV+ special, , which premieres on 22 November.

The star is expected to share anecdotes and memories from her own Christmases, as well as welcome special guests for a musical extravaganza at the London Coliseum.

MORE: 19 best Christmas films of all time and how to watch

"I love the build up to Christmas and all the magic and sparkle that comes with it!" Hannah said in a statement. "If I'm perfectly honest, I'd be happy to start it all in November!

"Getting glammed up and spending time with loved ones and family is something I look forward to the most, so filming this campaign really got me in the festive spirit."

HELLO!'s favourite Apple TV+ shows

• Bad Sisters - A dark comedy that follows four sisters who set out to free a fifth from an abusive husband. 
• Hijack - Idris Elba leads the cast as Sam Nelson, a courageous hostage onboard a hijacked commercial plane on a seven-hour flight from Dubai to London.
• Slow Horses - Star-studded spy thriller that follows a group of misfit intelligence agents who have been banished to the dumping ground department of MI5 after making career-ending mistakes. 

• Lessons in Chemistry - Brie Larson stars in this adaptation of Bonnie Garmus's bestselling novel. It follows chemistry genius Elizabeth Zott, whose dreams of becoming a scientist are stunted by 1950s sexism. 
• The Buccaneers - A frothy period drama that sees five young, rich American girls journey from New York to 1870s London, where they enter High Society in a bid to bag themselves an aristocrat.

• Ted Lasso - Jason Sudeikis plays a hapless American coach who comes to the UK to manage struggling football team, AFC Richmond. 
• The Morning Show - Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon star in the drama, which examines the culture behind a network news show. After her co-star is accused of sexual misconduct, anchor Alex Levy is handed the reins to The Morning Show. 
• Silo - A dystopian murder mystery thriller in which the last of humanity live underground in a giant silo and are forced to follow strict rules they believe are in place to protect them. 

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