Hannah Waddinghamis revealing how she roped her former costar and palJason Sudeikisinto spreading some Christmas cheer in her festive special.
Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE about her holiday special,Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas, theTed Lassostar, 49, shared why it was important for her to include her Emmy award-winning costar in the festivities.
“I had to have him in the special. He has been in recent years my greatest champion, I mean, look at what happened withThundergong!,” she gushed on this week’s PEOPLE in 10, referencing Sudeikis' annual charity event. “He invited me in to come and do that with him.”
Hannah Waddingham and Jason Sudeikis.Dave Benett/Getty
Dave Benett/Getty
“We are great pals and celebrate each other wholly. So I kept nagging him. I was like, ‘Darling, I’ve got to have you in,’ so it’s a thank you and a big kiss to him too,” she added.
InHannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas, Sudeikis, 48, takes on the role of a cab driver who picks Waddingham up from her home before the two partake in a duet of “Jingle Bells.”
Describing the holiday celebration as “traditional and beautiful,” Waddingham told PEOPLE the special was “something that’s been bubbling away, certainly in in my heart for decades.”
Hannah Waddingham and Jason Sudeikis.Mike Marsland/WireImage; Kayla Oaddams/WireImage
Mike Marsland/WireImage; Kayla Oaddams/WireImage
While some fans may have been shocked to discover Waddingham’s musical range, the actress' otherTed LassocostarBrett Goldsteinhas been a long supporter of her gigs in musical theater.
“He stood in front of me at the first ever read-through we had and was just like, ‘I’m your biggest fan. I’ve literally seen everything you’ve done in the theater for the last 20 years!'” she recalled. “So that was gorgeous.”
The rest of theTed Lassocast eventually discovered her incredible musical ability and encouraged her to flex her pipes on the show.
“I love the fact that that Jason leant into it so much,” she said of Sudeikis’ support of her talents, before adding, “Brendan [Hunt]is a massive musical theater head as well, which is why I ended up singing on the show, those guys wanting me to sing.”
Hannah Waddingham, Jamie Tartt and Phil Dunster performing on ‘Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas’.apple tv+
apple tv+
In addition to Sudeikis,Phil Dunsteralsomade an appearance on the Christmas specialand sang “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” alongside The Fabulous Lounge Swingers duo of Scott Baker and Patrick Davey.
Recorded live at The Coliseum in London, the one-hour special and its companion album showcases Waddingham “ringing in the season with musical performances of beloved Christmas classics,” as she “shares her personal journey to this magical moment with anecdotes and memories about her own holiday experiences,” according to a press release.
In November, Dunster exclusively told PEOPLE: “Hannah is now the Queen of Christmas, and to be a small part of her extravaganza was nothing short of a Christmas miracle.”
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source: people.com
