Hannah Waddingham almost unrecognisable in youthful photos from start of acting career

Hannah Waddingham has reached TV icon status after landing fan favourite roles in Game of Thrones, Sex Education, and, most famously, as Rebecca Welton in beloved Jason Sudeikis series, Ted Lasso. She is also currently at the centre of some very exciting

However, before she made it onto the small screen, British megastar Hannah had already established herself as a triple threat on London's West End, where she stole the show in several major on-stage roles.

She got her big break on London's West End in a musical production of Charles Aznavour's Lautrec in 2000, where she played Suzanne Valadon.

After impressing audiences in her West End debut, Hannah portrayed Christine Warner in Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton's

Worlds away from her polished on-screen appearances in recent years - Hannah then took on the challenge of portraying Satan in Sir Rod Stewart's musical, Tonight's the Night.

While clearly being a big hit with audiences, Hannah also stunned theatre critics and picked up multiple Laurence Olivier Award nominations as her career soared to new heights.

As the 49-year-old actress, singer, and TV presenter is set to host the Olivier Awards this weekend, Express.co.uk has taken a look back at the star's incredible transformation over the years.

The Olivier Awards 2024 airs on Sunday night from 10.15pm on ITV1.