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Ted Lasso’s Toheeb Jimoh turned up at Silverstone to hear his co-star and on-screen love interest Hannah Waddingham’s operatic rendition of God Save the King.
The English actor, who plays Samuel “Sam” Obisanya in the Apple TV show was soaking in the atmosphere with his F1-loving brother just moments before the actress, with whom his character shares a ‘will-they-won’t-they” relationship, took to the stage.
He told The Independent: “I’m here to support a very special lady singing. Hannah is singing the national anthem with her very lovely voice. It is going to be monumental.”
Asked whether there’s anything the singer/dancer/actor/Eurovision host cannot do, he said: “That is hard. She can really do everything... I really don’t know... Neuroscience?”
Surrounded by the King’s Guard, Waddingham expertly held her final falsetto, throwing her arms into the sky as the Red Arrows roar overhead, pouring out red, white and blue.
The performance impressed Mike Tindall, who said it amped him up for a “historic race”.
He told The Independent: “She was very good. I always love the national anthem. I was fortunate to have it sung for me at Twickenham. Hopefully, it will be playing at the end of the day. I just pray everyone gets out for the first corner.”
It was indeed Lewis Hamilton who secured his ninth British Grand Prix win.
Britain’s Got Talent judge David Walliams was all smiles after Wadlingham’s performance, telling The Independent: “It was beautiful and I loved every second of it. She is wonderful, such a talent.
“If she can make good scrambled eggs then I would marry her tomorrow.”
Other celebrities at the event included Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta Jones and Javier Bardem, who was spotted mingling with race teams as he films an F1 movie with Brad Pitt, and stepping out on the grid with his girlfriend, Ines de Ramon.
Lots of British fans by the grid were queuing up to meet Richard “The Hamster” Hammond, who casually posed for selfie after selfie with his children in tow. Jeremy Clarkson was also in attendance
There was a palpable excitement among motor sport enthuiasts as the British trio of Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris and George Russell looked to go toe to toe.
By the grid, Brian May and Rowan Atkinson were too busy to speak, with the Queen guitarist even snubbing Channel 4’s live coverage.
Asked for a word live on Channel 4, he looked at them, laughed and said: “No.”
David Coulthard told viewers Brian was “feeling shy despite all those years of rocking”.
