Hannah Waddingham: ‘I would present Eurovision every year if I could’
“It was really the most ridiculously hard work for five days, but the greatest pleasure,” she said in a recent interview
Ted Lasso actress Hannah Waddingham has admitted she’d be up for presenting Eurovision every year after her brilliant experience hosting in Liverpool.
Hannah was brought in as one of the three main hosts alongside Alesha Dixon, and Ukrainian singer-songwriter, Julia Sanina.
The trio were praised for their efforts, as the UK hosted the contest for the first time in nearly 25 years, on behalf of 2022 winners Ukraine.
But star of stage and screen Hannah hasn’t ruled out taking on hosting duties if the opportunity were to arise again.
“If I could present Eurovision every year I would!” – Hannah Waddingham
“It was really the most ridiculously hard work for five days, but the greatest pleasure,” who was very new to presenting at the time told PA News Agency.
“The first thing I ever hosted was the Olivier Awards, barely two weeks before, that was literally the first time I had ever read from an autocue. And so then to move straight on to Eurovision, I felt slightly more adept.”
“The alchemy of being comfortable on screen because of all my screen work meeting 22 years of theatre both here and on Broadway, it meant that when I was in an arena of 10,000 people per show I was totally in my element,” she added.
She explained that coming from the world of theatre to Eurovision was “a big deal” and said: “If I can do all of that and let my daughter also see me encouraging hands across the water with people of different languages, different ethnicities, different cultures… I loved it.
“If I could present Eurovision every year I would!”
Next year’s contest will be held in Malmö, after Loreen became the first woman to win the annual singing competition twice.
Malmö will become the third city to host Eurovision three times and this will be Sweden’s seventh time hosting. Stockholm hosted in 1975, 2000, and 2016 and Gothenburg in 1985.
“It was really the most ridiculously hard work for five days, but the greatest pleasure”
Elsewhere, it’s been confirmed by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) that the slogan used at this year’s Liverpool contest will be made permanent.
The tagline “United By Music,” was present across branding for the 2023 event, which came amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Today (14 November), it was announced this existing phrase had been chosen as the slogan for the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest – and all future Eurovision Song Contests.