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. 

HOULTON, Maine (WABI) -Houlton was a hotspot for eclipse enthusiasts from all over Maine and beyond.

“California, Wyoming, Idaho. I’ve also heard from people from like Spanish speaking cultures and everybody’s just coming here. Welcome.”

While the estimated 35,000 visitors waited for the chance to see the solar eclipse in the sky, something incredible was already happening.

People were coming together to learn about each other and share this experience with one another.

“We knew that the pounding demonstration of the ash log, we knew that the drumming would draw people in and it did. There’s nothing I love more than telling people about what our language means, what the words mean,” Chris Phillips, Economic Director for the Houlton Band of Maliseet, said about their performance.

“People of all walks of life are coming here to enjoy this,” said Johanna Johnston, Executive Director of Southern Aroostook County Development Corporation. She said, “A lot of people that have invested a lot of money into the equipment so they can you know, this is their passion. This is their hobby. And then a lot of them are willing to share that with with other people and show them what it looks like.”

Including Soubanh Phanthay, who is the City of Brewer Deputy Mayor and a professional photographer.

“It feels like the community, the whole state, is coming together,” he said.

We talked to Phantay in Houlton, and then we caught up with him a few days later after he had time to process the whole eclipse experience.

“I offered people to look through my viewfinder, and before you know, it every time I had a little gap there was a line of people waiting to see what the change was. Because it’s so different than using your eyes with through the glasses because I’m zoomed in at 600 millimeters on my lens and people were so grateful for that. I had, I had buddies, instant friends, because I shared my lens with everybody. I think that was kind of the highlight of my, my whole trip, was being able to share that and then share it again afterwards. And, and it was just a boost of community, that sense of community, sense of togetherness, belonging. And for that one event, we all forgot about our differences. We were just focused on the eclipse,” he said.

You can find more of his pictures from the eclipse here.

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Photo: Mike Marsland/WireImage

Hannah Waddingham knows a thing or two about sticking up for herself in uncomfortable situations. Per Deadline, just before taking the stage to host this year’s 2024 Olivier Awards on Sunday, Waddingham called out a photographer who apparently asked her to show more leg.

In videos of the moment shared online, Waddingham is seen posing on the red carpet when a photographer says something to her. Although it’s unclear what the photographer said, Waddingham’s response is very clear: “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.” Waddingham then walked away as the people around her erupted in cheers.

This isn’t the first time Waddingham has made clear she won’t tolerate being treated with disrespect. In January, the actress told BBC 2’s Michelle Visage about the moment she decided to stop accepting small roles in films and TV shows. “I said to my agents at the time, ‘I’m not doing it anymore … If it’s one scene, I’m not doing it anymore, and you shouldn’t be putting me up for it because it’s insulting,’” Waddingham said. “‘I’ve been a leading lady for 22 years. I’m not doing it anymore.’” She also recalled being told by a director early in her career that she wouldn’t ever work onscreen because she looked “like one side of her face has had a stroke.” The comment didn’t hold her back. “I thought, ‘I will do. Come hell or high water, I will work on screen,’” she said. Clearly her no-nonsense attitude is working for her.

Don’t Even Think About Being Rude to Hannah Waddingham