Hannah Waddingham exudes glamour in a black shimmering dress as she attends the launch of her Home For Christmas special

Hannah Waddingham exuded glamour as she attended the launch of her Home for Christmas special at Everyman Borough Yards in London on Wednesday.

The Ted Lasso star, 49, looked incredible in a black shimmering midi dress with mesh sleeves.

Hannah boosted her height in stylish pink stilettos and carried a black and silver patterned clutch bag. 

Her blonde locks were styled in a glamorous blow-dry and she accessorised with dainty silver jewellery. 

Hannah was joins by her friends and co-stars Kola Bokinni, David Elsendoorn, Nick Mohammed and Phil Dunster.

Hannah’s Christmas Special has been dubbed ‘spectacular’ and ‘sensational’.

The Ted Lasso actress stars in Hannah Waddingham : Home for Christmas, which debuts today on Apple TV+.

The special has already won a string of positive reviews from critics who say the Emmy-winner is now set for ‘world domination’ for her ‘perfectly pitched performance in more ways than one’.

Recorded live at The Coliseum in London , the one-hour special features the Ted Lasso star ringing in the season with musical performances of beloved Christmas classics.

The Independent praised it as ‘like an old-fashioned variety show’ and say it is ‘reminiscent of An Audience with’ while the Guardian said ‘not even the Grinch could bah-humbug’ it.

Joining Hannah on stage is Sam Ryder , Luke Evans , and Hamilton star Leslie Odom Jr. as well as Phil Dunster who plays Jamie Tartt in Ted Lasso and more special guests.

There are also appearances from additional performers including the English National Opera, the London Gay Men’s Chorus, The Fabulous Lounge Swingers and an 18-piece band.

Along the way, Hannah shares her personal journey to this magical moment with anecdotes and memories about her own holiday experiences.

Speaking to Forbes, Hannah said that in pitching the tone of special, she told executives that it would be, ‘somewhere between Dean Martin and Carol Burnett [shows],’ describing it as, ‘that style of having people over for the holidays, dropping in in their finery.

‘I mean, I feel like it’s a bygone era with people in beautiful dinner jackets and beautiful dresses, so I was keen for the band to be in their tuxes and my backing vocalists to feel a million dollars.’

And she certainly achieved her goal, in the show she opts for an array of red and gold festive outfits which she pairs with huge heels and old Hollywood make-up.

‘Already an undisputed legend and icon, Waddingham has ascended even further into the stratosphere with this special, something she confessed had been a lifelong dream of hers to do,’ Yahoo said of the episode.

‘She’s smashed it out of the park, proving once again why she is the bright shining star she is. As well as killer, show-stopping vocals Waddingham also brings her characteristic warmth, humour, and infectious energy to the 45-minute special,’ the review adds.

‘Heralding the incipient tsunami of holiday programming, this may be the one program to watch, perhaps while preparing Thanksgiving dinner,’ the Wall Street Journal said.

‘Waddingham doesn’t need to prove herself to anyone anymore. Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas makes that clear,’ Screen Speck said.

‘If this special proves anything it is that Waddingham is the very definition of star quality. Let’s hope for another one in our stockings next year!’ The Gay Times said.

Hannah said it ‘was uncommonly sweaty in London,’ when she filmed in May.

Speaking to the Associated Press, she said: ‘There was us putting out an invitation saying, “Please wear your Christmas finery.” So many of my friends rang me, were like, “Dude, really?” I was like, “Yes, get your Christmas sweater out. If I´m going to be sweating, so can you.”‘

The show is a dream come true for the performer, an Emmy Award-winner and three-time Olivier Award nominee.

Her mother, Melodie Kelly, was an opera singer and Waddingham says she essentially spent her childhood at the Coliseum.

‘I’ve run around those corridors since I was 8 years old. The reason why I am who I am as a performer is from sitting in that theater watching the great opera singers of the day. And then, of course, you know, my mother I didn’t mention it in the special, but my mother is heavily afflicted with Parkinson´s disease and is in a wheelchair.

‘So the fact that she was even able to be there, my father sitting next to her, who had had quintuple heart surgery while I was shooting Ted Lasso… and to have my little girl, who by some quirk of the universe was 8 years old when we were shooting it, is unbelievable. Kismet.’

The special caps off an eventful year for Waddingham.

Besides “Ted Lasso” airing its third season, and taping Home for Christmas, she hosted the Olivier Awards, and also co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest and the Earthshot Prize in Singapore alongside Prince William and actor Sterling K. Brown.

‘2024 is really going to have to go some because 2023 has been insane,’ she said.

It comes as FEMAIL dubbed Hannah ‘ the Queen of Christmas ‘ a moniker that has now been widely used to describe the star.

As well as her Apple TV special, Hannah is starring in Christmas adverts for Baileys and Marks & Spencer.