Since becoming an international breakout star through Ted Lasso, Hannah Waddingham has attracted enormous public attention. Her performance as Rebecca Welton transformed her from a respected stage actress in the United Kingdom into one of television’s most recognizable faces globally. Alongside that career rise, fans have become increasingly curious about her personal life, especially her relationships and whether she is currently dating anyone.
Unlike many celebrities who regularly share romantic updates online, Waddingham has remained notably guarded about her love life. Most of the information available publicly comes from interviews, entertainment reporting, and occasional comments she has made while discussing motherhood and relationships more broadly.
Over the years, Waddingham has been linked most prominently to Italian businessman Gianluca Cugnetto, with whom she shares a daughter. More recently, reports and public appearances have sparked speculation about whether the actress has entered a new relationship after years of describing herself as single. Here’s what is publicly known about Hannah Waddingham’s dating life and why she keeps much of it private.
Is Hannah Waddingham Currently Dating Anyone?
Based on publicly available information, Hannah Waddingham has not officially confirmed a current relationship. However, recent reports have fueled speculation that she may be dating spine surgeon Nick Beresford-Cleary after the two were photographed holding hands at the Cheltenham Festival in 2026.
Despite those reports, Waddingham herself has not publicly introduced a new partner or spoken directly about being in a confirmed relationship. In fact, several interviews from 2024 and 2025 described her as single and focused heavily on work and parenting.
During an interview discussed by Fox News, Waddingham openly joked that her “love life is dry” and admitted it had been years since she had gone on a proper date. She also described herself as highly selective when it comes to relationships.
That combination of privacy and occasional candid comments has kept public curiosity surrounding her dating life especially high in recent years.
The most significant publicly known relationship in Waddingham’s life was with Italian hospitality businessman Gianluca Cugnetto.
According to multiple entertainment reports and profile summaries, the pair were together for roughly a decade after reportedly beginning their relationship around 2012.
During their relationship, Waddingham and Cugnetto welcomed a daughter, Kitty. Waddingham has spoken emotionally in interviews about becoming a mother after previously being told she might struggle to have children. In a 2025 interview with The Times, she explained that she conceived naturally after exploring alternative health treatments and later described her daughter as “the utter joy” of her life.
Although Waddingham and Cugnetto were together for many years, they never married. In interviews discussed by The Sun, Waddingham admitted she had once been engaged but ultimately never felt enthusiastic about traditional wedding culture.
By 2022, entertainment outlets began reporting that the relationship had ended. More recent interviews consistently describe Waddingham as a single mother raising her daughter independently.
Why Hannah Waddingham Keeps Her Relationships Private
One reason there is relatively limited information about Waddingham’s dating life is that she rarely discusses romance publicly in detail.
Across most interviews, Waddingham tends to focus on acting, theater, music, motherhood, and career struggles rather than celebrity relationships. Even after Ted Lasso made her globally famous, she largely avoided turning her personal life into part of her public brand.
This approach stands out in an era where many celebrities share relationships heavily through social media. Waddingham instead appears far more interested in maintaining boundaries between fame and private life.
In her 2025 interview with The Times, she specifically emphasized the demands of single parenthood and how much responsibility comes with raising her daughter while balancing a major acting career.
That perspective helps explain why relationships appear to occupy a smaller public role in her life compared to her professional ambitions and family priorities.
Although Waddingham keeps much of her personal life private, she has occasionally shared surprisingly candid comments about dating.
In podcast appearances and entertainment interviews referenced by outlets including The Sun and The Sun Ireland, Waddingham described herself as “picky” when it comes to choosing partners. She emphasized that positivity and charisma matter more to her than stereotypical ideas of attractiveness.
She also joked openly about one major deal-breaker during an interview covered by Fox News, saying a “bad kiss” would immediately end her interest in someone.
More seriously, Waddingham has repeatedly suggested she values emotional support and authenticity over fame or status. In comments quoted by multiple outlets, she described wanting someone who could make her feel emotionally safe and genuinely cared for rather than simply impressed by celebrity.
These interviews helped humanize her public image because they contrasted sharply with the glamorous perception many fans developed after her rise through major Hollywood projects.
Motherhood Became Central to Her Life
A recurring theme across Waddingham’s interviews is that motherhood significantly changed her priorities.
According to interviews covered by BBC News and The Times, Waddingham frequently structures projects around remaining close to her daughter and maintaining stability as a parent.
She has also spoken openly about the emotional challenges surrounding her daughter’s early health struggles. Some entertainment features discussed how frightening that period was for her while balancing acting work simultaneously.
This emphasis on family partly explains why Waddingham seems less interested in highly public celebrity relationships than many stars at a similar level of fame.
Instead, interviews consistently portray her as someone deeply focused on balancing career growth with parenting responsibilities.
Her Career Explosion Changed Public Interest in Her Personal Life
Before Ted Lasso, Waddingham was already respected within British theater and television circles. However, the Apple TV+ series dramatically expanded her fame internationally.
Her performance as Rebecca Welton earned her a Primetime Emmy Award and transformed her into one of television’s most recognizable actresses.
That success quickly led to larger projects, including The Fall Guy, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, and hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.
As her fame expanded, so did public curiosity surrounding her relationships. Still, Waddingham largely resisted shifting into celebrity-gossip culture despite becoming a major entertainment figure globally.
Instead, interviews continued focusing heavily on her theater roots, acting challenges, and industry struggles rather than romantic headlines.
At various points, Waddingham was also linked romantically to singer Alfie Boe after the pair appeared together publicly several times. However, no confirmed long-term relationship was ever officially announced.
Entertainment reports later suggested the rumored romance faded relatively quickly. More recent speculation involving surgeon Nick Beresford-Cleary similarly remains unconfirmed beyond public appearances and tabloid reporting.
This pattern reflects a broader reality around Waddingham’s personal life: public curiosity is extremely high, but confirmed information remains relatively limited because she rarely comments extensively on romantic speculation.