Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham’s secret romance with Blackpool's Alfie Boe

The 49-year-old star of Ted Lasso and Sex Education was all over our television screens as the host of the Eurovision Song Contest this year but little did we know that behind the stage waiting for her was Lancashire singing sensation Alfie, 50.

This week, a source has told the Sun that the famous pair were actually an item during the filming of the competition, although the romance is now over.

The source said: “Hannah and Alfie have moved in similar circles for years, but both had partners at different times.

“Towards the end of last year they went on a couple of dinners at places like Scott’s in Richmond — where Ted Lasso is set.

“With Hannah’s career massively in the ascendancy, she was keen to let her work, not personal life, do the talking so they deliberately kept things quiet.

“It was especially hard to keep things under wraps during the madness of Eurovision when all the spotlight was on her.

“But they managed to sneak Alfie in backstage and kept things low-key.

“Things have fizzled out but they remain on friendly terms.”

Hannah and Alfie performed on screen together three years ago in a West End video collaboration of Vera Lynn’s We’ll Meet Again during the pandemic.

At the time – May 2020 – Alfie was still with his ex-wife Sarah with whom he has two children, 15-year-old Grace and 11-year-old Alfred, but the pair slit up three months later.

Hannah meanwhile has an eight-year-old daughter with her ex partner hotelier Gianluca Cugnetto, although it is not clear when they split up.

Aside from romance rumours, Blackpool born Alfie is currently celebrating the success of his sixteenth album – Open Arms: The Symphonic Songbook – which made it to number 10 in the UK Albums Chart.

London born actress Hannah has made a bigger name for herself in recent years having appeared in the highly successful TV shows Ted Lasso (2020-2023) and Sex Education (2019-2023). Next year she is set to star in Hollywood films The Fall Guy and The Garfield Movie.