Hannah Waddingham talks coping with postnatal depression

Hannah Waddingham spoke earlier today about battling postnatal depression.

Actress Hannah Waddingham appeared on Lorraine and revealed she was battling postnatal depression when she played the ‘Shame’ bell ringer in Game of Thrones.

Talking about being eight and a half months pregnant when she auditioned for the role of Septa Unella, Hannah said: “I was pregnant from the cheekbones out. I just thought, ‘I’m not going to get this. This is like saying hello for next time.’ And then the casting director chased me out and said,’ Is this something you’d consider because you will have had the baby nine weeks previously?’ And I just went, ‘Yes.’ As if you’re going to turn down Game of Thrones.”

When Lorraine said her baby must have been tiny when she started filming, Hannah revealed:

“She was and actually, in all seriousness, I had a little moment before I went on set on the first day. The first scene was on top of the steps and starting that walk. So it was mental how it went from me being mum and coping with all of that and if I’m honest I do think I had a little bit of postnatal depression and being an older mum, I was struggling with it but it actually lent itself to it because I literally looked like I’d been dug up.”

Talking about her character being subjected to waterboarding, Hannah said: “Game of Thrones don’t do things by halves and even though it was an absolutely horrific ordeal I would 100 per cent do it again if another part required it.”

When Lorraine said she didn’t recognise her, Hannah – who described her character as a ‘nasty piece of work’ – said: “Good, because I’d be mortified. They put me in the make-up chair on the first day, they brushed my eyebrows the wrong way, they put hairs where we would take them out and shoved me out of the door.  I was like that painting The Scream, standing outside the door, going ‘No!” And on Apple TV’s Ted Lasso being commissioned for a third series, Hannah said:

“Who knew a horrific global pandemic would get everybody onto Apple TV watching this show and it’s like they’ve made a whole lot of new friends. It’s been a great solace for us coming into season two and getting back on track.” 

Lorraine airs weekdays at 9am on ITV and ITV Hub