Now we know. But they still don’t. But that’s about to change, and throw two of Ted Lasso’s main characters into a whirlwind of romance and potential H.R. violations.

Ever since the dating app Bantr was introduced this season, team owner Rebecca Welton has been glowing over her sweet, anonymous interactions with an unseen person who has the handle LDN152. Who was this mystery paramour on the other end of text exchange? 

In the latest episode, the show finally tells us. And actress Hannah Waddingham shares her reaction to the twist. Spoilers ahead…

No, it’s not Higgins, for God’s sake. It’s AFC Richmond star defender Sam Obisanya (played by Toheeb Jimoh, who previously spoke with Vanity Fair about his character’s emotional and political storyline this season). 

Rebecca strongly supported Sam in a previous episode, when he took a moral stand against a team sponsor whose unseemly business practices were causing suffering in his homeland of Nigeria. Sam and Rebecca (hey, echoes of latter-day Cheers there) have always had a cordial but professional friendship, but they are separated by an age difference of about two decades. Plus, they work together, and that creates a complicated and potentially fraught power dynamic. 

Neither character yet knows that he is “LDN152” and that she is “Bossgirl,” but when they do find out the truth, they can’t be any more surprised than the actors were when the secret admirer’s identity was revealed.

Vanity Fair: There’s been a lot of curiosity about who’s on the other end of her dating app. When you were reading the script for episode six, did you already know it was going to be Sam?

Hannah Waddingham: I had no clue—and hilariously neither did he, and he walked into my [dressing] room. And went have you read it? And I said, [gulp] “Yes. I guess we’re going to get to know each other quite well!” And he went bright red and walked out and was kneeling on the floor, laughing. 

Oh, wow. 

Neither of us saw it coming. And then Jason Sudeikis was just like, “Really? You guys didn’t know?”

Did you get all the scripts at once, or was the mystery building as you shot?

Are you joking? We get drip fed. It used to irritate me because I used to think, “How can I work out what her trajectory is?” But then I thought to myself, “Well, none of us in real life know what’s going to happen tomorrow.” So, yeah, as long as I’ve got time to learn the lines—which, let me tell you, is also rare—then I’m kind of good to go. 

Does it help to have that blank spot, that uncertainty?

There is something to be said for the nervousness and urgency of not having it too long in your greasy mitts, because then your knee-jerk reaction comes out. I think we’re all so used to the parts by now. Certainly Jason has said this to me that we know who they are inherently. Now they’re in our bloodstream. So, how Rebecca would respond is always going to be the right one. 

As the storyline progressed, did you have any theories about who the other person on Bantr would be?

Uh, yes, I did. But I’m not telling you who I thought it would be.

I thought it would be Ted. 

I’m going to keep that one close to my chest because I think it’s quite fun. But I certainly didn’t think it was Sam because of the obvious age gap, you know. I was like, okay, so maybe he’s a little slap and tickle, as we call it here. What do you call it over there? You know, a little hookup?

Like a one-night stand?

If it’s a little cheeky, we call it a bit of slap and tickle.

The story hasn’t told us where this is going yet, but they are bound to find out sooner or later. Chances are, the surprise won’t be welcome for Rebecca, who is so much about control, right? And hugely stoic. In this instance, there would be that genuine mixture of Rebecca Welton saying, “This is not happening,” with all the hand gestures going. No, no, no. But inside, she’s thinking, oh my God, it’s Sam. [Smiles broadly.]

After a minute, could she realize that maybe this is okay too?

Yeah. It’s just yummy. 

Could she also see it as wrong? She is technically his boss.

That’s something that I struggled with a bit, the fact that she is his boss and I’ve had conversations with Jason about where this might be going. That struggle is hers—and yours—to find. And I love that. 

What’s potentially right about the relationship, though? What do you think is nice about it? 

I think we could see her for the first time ever, in the whole two seasons, truly comfortable with someone and truly relaxed and beaming, and then she catches herself. So it’s that kind of conflict of interest there. And in a way there’s a sadness, I think, for her: but why did it have to be Sam? Why did it have to be one of your employees that you have this amazing rapport with? And I think that in episode 10, we will see that conflict come to the foreground. 

What conversations did you and Toheeb have about their future together?

We’re great mates already. We already have an unspoken respect for each other. And we were both keen to portray both the sexiness, but also the real sweetness of Sam and Rebecca getting together because, you know, people love Sam and people love Rebecca. And so they are two precious beings finding time together. 

You mentioned the sexiness. I feel like I’m seeing a lot more of that aura from Rebecca this season. Is the show playing up her allure?

Yeah, I think so. It was certainly my intention to do that, because it’s a woman in her mid-forties finding her feet again after having been battered down verbally by her ex-husband to the point where she just doesn’t know anymore. If you look back to the first episode of season one, there is no sexuality being played there on purpose. The only thing she is doing is she has tunnel vision about this football club and ultimately Rupert [the ex]. Whereas now, it fluctuates in. She is wary and nervous, but it’s like her wings are fluttering again. 

Her appearance is the same. Her hair and makeup and costuming hasn’t changed. But if someone seems happy and confident, they’re more attractive, aren’t they? And that has changed. It makes you want to be around that person. You want to share space with them.

It’s infectious, isn’t it? And I think that’s what Sam could bring to her, basically telling her to chill her beans and just embrace the situation… But she’s a control freak, so we’ll see where that goes. 

Rebecca was somewhat the villain of the first season. She was setting up Ted for failure. She was trying to set up Keeley to be exposed by the paparazzi and tabloids. She was very angry and did a lot of cruel things, but she’s a very different person now, isn’t she? 

Yes, absolutely. You will see it more as the season progresses. I think the shutters still come down a little bit here and there, but then one of them—whether it be Ted or even Roy or Sam—can just push the shutters back up and peek under and say, “Come on. You’re okay.” I see her like a scared lioness who wants to roar again. But, every now and again, she just has to shut the cage again, because she’s been really damaged by Rupert. And that doesn’t just go away. I need to make sure that I show her light and shade and her nerves and her confidence ebbing and flowing from second to second.

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