Hannah Waddingham Praises Prince William as a 'Glorious Gentleman' and 'Beating Heart' of the Earthshot Prize

Mar. 15, 2025

Hannah Waddinghamis proud to backPrince William’sEarthshot Prize.

On Dec. 16, the Ted Lasso star praised the Prince of Wales' dedicated determination to spark environmental change through the worldwide environmental contest he launched in 2020. Waddingham, 50, co-hosted theEarthshot Prize Awards Ceremonyin Singapore in 2023, and has partnered with Prince William again to host the new documentaryThe Earthshot Report, which premieres in the U.S. on Dec. 18.

“I even said to him, myself and the equally fabulousSterling K. Brown, we were hosting it together and he and I said to Prince William, ‘Sir, I hope you realize that you are a cut above the rest,’ because he has created the Earthshot organization and he isn’t a poster boy for it,” she continued, recalling how she and Brown (who she co-hosted the 2023 Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony alongside) were impressed with William’s drive.

Hannah Waddingham, Prince William and Sterling K. Brown at the 2023 Earthshot Prize in Singapore on Nov. 7, 2023.MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty

MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty

“It was very obvious from being out there he is the beating heart and he really does care,” the Primetime Emmy Award-winning actress continued of William. “He absolutely has those finalists and the people who are in that whole competition, he holds them up, he gets them everything they need and that man is passionate about the environment. I was very proud to be there and being that kind of figurehead for his organization.”

William and Waddingham had some upbeat fun to promote the documentary in a video released on Dec. 14. There, they met up at Alexandra Palace in London (the site of the first Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony in 2021) for a game of darts, round of beers and chat about the Earthshot Prize’s ambitions. Prince William launched the contest in 2020 as a decade-long pitch to help heal the planet across five flagship categories — Protect and Restore Nature, Clean Our Air, Revive Our Oceans, Build a Waste-Free World and Fix Our Climate — offering $1.3 million prizes in each tier every year to help innovators scale their ideas and create change.

The conversation turned personal when Waddingham asked William about his efforts to instill Earthshot mission in his kids,Prince George, 11,Princess Charlotte, 9, andPrince Louis, 6, whom he shares with wifeKate Middleton. (In another royal connection, the actress recently attended the Princess of Wales’Together at Christmascarol service at Westminster Abbey on Dec. 6.)

“I talk to my childrenall the time about it,” the Prince of Wales said of the lessons at home. “It’s important that they see, touch, feel and experience nature. It’s very hard for anyone to understand what’s the point of protecting it if you’ve never used it.”

Prince William, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince Louis arrive for Kate Middleton’s Together at Christmas carol service on Dec. 6, 2024.Getty Images

Getty Images

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The Earthshot Reportairs on PBS on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 8 p.m. ET.

source: people.com