Ted Lasso fans defend Hannah Waddingham after Laverne Cox mispronounces name at Emmys

Social media users have leapt to Hannah Waddingham’s defence after Laverne Cox repeatedly mispronounced the Ted Lasso star’s name on the Emmys red carpet.

Cox was in the midst of hosting a string of red carpet interviews at the television awards show when she introduced her next guest as “Hannah Waddington”.

Waddingham, 49, smoothly corrected her, clapping her hands together and adding with a smile: “Let’s get that right.”

Cox asked her to repeat her name, but then managed to mispronounce the name again in a new way: “Hannah Wattingham.”

Fans on social media were quick to react to the awkward interaction, with one X/Twitter user writing: “Very uncomfortable watching Laverne Cox butcher Hannah Waddingham’s name. First it was ‘Waddington’ and then it was ‘Wattingham’”.

The same user added that it seemed as if Cox’s questions were poorly prepared: “Adding insult to injury it doesn’t seem she knows this was Ted Lasso’s last season.”

Other users despaired over the fact that Waddingham has faced this problem before, with one saying: “Like how are we still getting this wrong?”

Another responded: “Also the fact that the interviewer was like, ‘ugh I’m such a big fan, here is Hannah waddington’. C’mon now.”

Waddingham was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance as Richmond FC owner Rebecca Welton in Ted Lasso. She lost out to The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri.

She won in the same category for the show’s first season in 2021, and was nominated again in 2022 before missing out to Abbott Elementary’s Sheryl Lee Ralph.

Ted Lasso is up for a total of 17 Emmys this year, including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Jason Sudeikis, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Phil Dunster and Brett Goldstein, and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Juno Temple and Waddingham.

Last month, Waddingham called out those who criticise her new Mission Impossible co-star Tom Cruise, saying she has “no time” for it.

She had been filming scenes alongside the controversial Hollywood star for the concluding instalment of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, which is set to be released in 2025.

After recalling how she spent “five intense days” with Cruise on the USS George HW Bush fighter carrier, Waddingham said: “I have to say, I have a real problem with anybody that goes at him now.”

She continued: “He is without doubt one of the loveliest and encouraging, positive and inspiring human beings I have ever met. Isn’t he gorgeous? I have no time for anyone saying anything about him.”

You can find The Independent’s live coverage of all the latest from the Emmys here.