Last night, Hannah Waddingham hosted the Laurence Olivier Awards in London. As the actress prepared to walk the pre-show red carpet, she posed for some photos outside the Royal Albert Hall. That’s when a male photographer ordered her to show him “leg”. *Shudder* A video posted to Twitter captures Hannah’s reaction. She was not having it:

“Oh my god! You’d never say that to a man, my friend. Don’t be a dick, otherwise I’ll move off. Don’t say, ‘Show me leg.’ No.”

Some of the crowd cheered Hannah as she marched away. Then, she turned around and addressed someone heatedly (the pap?), before moving on. Here’s the video:

long story short: hannah was being her gorgeous self and the 📸 made some comment about her leg we couldn’t quite make out and… well, the video speaks for itself. This woman is a role model. Always, always call pricks out on their bullshit. https://t.co/TUPwdqEYo2 pic.twitter.com/ybhxCo5FJ6

— bruna but with a posh accent (@odeiotedlasso) April 14, 2024

A note for all men: it is never OK to order a woman (or anyone) to show you leg. Unless you’re a doctor and your patient asks you to check out the psoriasis on their shin. But that is the rare exception.

Last October, 49-year-old Hannah did an interview with Glamour, and specifically mentioned her experience with “misogynistic male photographers”:

“When it comes to dealing with sexism, especially in my industry, I was on the receiving end of it mostly when I was modelling back in my twenties, with some of the nonsense that misogynistic male photographers would throw at me to put me in my place.

I called them out straight away — and they would then try to fight their corner, but I never let it go; I always called it out — but back then, it was at a time when people didn’t back you up. But I know that I’ve always given off an air of: “I will literally kill you if you treat me like that!”

Literally kill them, eh? Then it sounds like this particular misogynist got off pretty easy. On a much less gross note, here’s Hannah opening the Olivier Awards with “Anything Goes”:

A solo exhibition of the work of photographer Gianfranco Gorgoni has debuted at Áwet New York‘s Livewear store in New York City’s Bowery neighborhood. The exhibition features a selection of Gorgoni’s most celebrated works and curated designs and fashion from Áwet Woldegebriel, founder and creative director of Áwet.

Revered for his work capturing iconic scenes of many legendary artists such as Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Roy Lichtenstein, Truman Capote, and Jimmy Hendrix, Gorgoni’s work masterfully immortalized the soul of New York City in its most intimate and revealing moments. The exhibition, curated by Jose Esperon, will include some of Gorgoni’s most noteworthy imagery, holding particular significance to the Livewear space on Bond Street, as many of the featured artists in this show once graced the same streets in the downtown art scene.

“I’m thrilled to be part of Livewear’s latest exhibition celebrating Gianfranco Gorgoni’s work,” said Jose Esperon, Creative Director of Livewear Interiors. “He remains one of the most iconic photographers to capture some of the biggest names in art globally. In fact, one of the Basquiat images on display was taken at his home and studio just a block away from where Livewear is today! I am truly honored to participate in this exhibit as the curator, and beyond excited to continue representing incredible creatives alongside Áwet New York.”

Maya Gorgoni, Gianfranco Gorgoni’s daughter and administrator of The Estate of Gianfranco Gorgoni says, “As a born and raised New Yorker, we sometimes take for granted all of the magic this city offers. I’m thankful to have photography to forever remind us of our temporary existence. Timing is everything and having this opportunity to showcase some of my father’s greatest hits fills me with immense pride. As the custodians of his legacy, we look forward to continuing to highlight his life’s work.”

This latest partnership continues to highlight Áwet New York’s commitment to its local community, fostering a space that merges art and design while providing a platform for the unparalleled talent and artistry that New York City has to offer.

“The privilege of showcasing Gorgoni’s works for the first time at Livewear fills us with profound gratitude and humility at Áwet New York,” said Áwet Woldegebriel. “This city is not merely a place to us; it’s woven into the fabric of our identity as a brand. We are so thrilled for the opportunity to honor Gorgoni’s deeply heartfelt homage to the New York City art scene, a celebration of the city’s enduring spirit and vitality.”

Since it opened in 2023, the Livewear store has continued to serve as both a retail haven and a cultural museum, allowing a carefully curated collection of BIPOC designers access to a retail space where they’ll retain 100% of their sales profit, made possible thanks to Áwet New York’s recent partnership with UPS. This exhibition featuring Gorgoni’s works further cements the brand, and the team behind it, as a cultural innovator, and connector for New York’s emerging arts community.

Select pieces from the exhibit will be available for purchase in two sizes (18” x 27” and 32” x 48”). Additionally, all prints can be customized to order. The show will be open to the public at Livewear through the end of June. For more information, visit awetnyc.com.

I’m struggling to find a way to start this article, mainly because it’s hard to believe what I’m about to write about is still happening – it is 2024, right? But I have to take a moment to appreciate Hannah Waddingham for her no bullshit response to brazen sexist comments while walking the Olivier Awards red carpet last night. 

The actress hosted the London theatre awards, but the ceremony got underway she made her way down the red carpet. A fan captured Hannah on video (below) as she stopped to pose for photographs, before very quickly putting one of the paparazzi firmly in his place. The comment he made is not decipherable in the footage, however what Hannah says is: 

“Oh my god, you would never say that to a man, my friend. Don’t be a dick, otherwise I’ll move on. Don’t say ‘show me leg’. No.”

Waddingham then storms past him to cheers from onlookers who overheard the encounter. The confrontation appears to continue, with the actress turns, raises her finger and talks more to the photographer in question. 

You can watch the video posted on Twitter in full below (click see more on the tweet).

I don’t even know where to start with how we’re not past these kind of comments yet. What’s even more disappointing is this isn’t the first time Waddingham has encountered sexism in the industry. In an interview with Glamour in 2023 she said: “When it comes to dealing with sexism, especially in my industry, I was on the receiving end of it mostly when I was modelling back in my 20s, with some of the nonsense that misogynistic male photographers would throw at me to put me in my place.”

Over 20 years later, now aged 49, Waddingham’s recent encounter shows how little progress has been made on that front. And have to wonder how many younger actresses would have felt confident enough to make the stand Hannah did. All we can hope is by doing so, she inspires and empowers other women to speak out when facing misogynistic behaviour. 

Hosting the awards, Waddingham had a front-row seat to watch Succession star Sarah Snook and actress/singer Nicole Scherzinger win an award. The former Pussycat Doll won the accolade for Best Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Norma Desmond in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Broadway-bound Sunset Boulevard. Snook took the big win for Best Actress for her performance in the Sydney Theatre Company’s version of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray.

As well as hosting, Waddingham opened the event performing with singer and pianist Joe Stilgoe. This is the second year in a row Hannah has hosted the prestigious awards. 

This definitely won’t be the last red carpet we see Waddingham on this year, with her due to appear on the big screen in movies The Fall Guy and Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 2. But we sincerely hope it’s the last time she has to deal with sexism while doing so.