Image Source: The New York Times
Ted Lasso is returning with a fresh football story, a new women’s team and a surprising Welsh connection. Cardiff actor Rex Hayes is joining the cast of Season 4, describing the opportunity to enter the fictional AFC Richmond world as “very surreal”.
The new series arrives on Apple TV+ on 5 August. It brings back familiar faces including Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein and Jason Sudeikis, while introducing a group of footballers who will play for AFC Richmond’s second-division women’s team, known as The Lady Greyhounds.
Ted Lasso Season 4 brings a powerful new team
Season 4 marks a significant change for the hit comedy. Ted returns from Kansas to coach The Lady Greyhounds, shifting the focus from the men’s side of AFC Richmond to a new group of players and personalities.
Hayes plays Siobhan, the twin sister of Niamh, portrayed by Aisling Sharkey. Their sibling rivalry is expected to create tension both on and off the pitch, although Hayes says the relationship between the actors is far more affectionate away from the cameras.
“We are best mates,” Hayes said while speaking to Radio Wales. “What you see on screen is very much our real life relationship, we adore each other.”
The new team also includes Game of Thrones actor Faye Marsay, Abbie Hern, Jude Mack and Tanya Reynolds. Hayes said the new cast members have been warmly supported by the show’s established stars, who helped them settle into one of television’s most recognisable comedy ensembles.
A football-loving actor lands a dream role
Hayes’s casting is particularly fitting because football has been part of the actor’s life since childhood. They spent years kicking a ball around Heath Park in Cardiff with their father and played regularly at school until their A levels.
Although Hayes stopped formal football training at the age of 12 before attending drama school, the actor returned to the pitch after moving to London. That experience proved unexpectedly valuable when the audition for Ted Lasso required a demonstration of football skills.
Hayes recorded an audition tape in a London park and later received positive feedback from casting director Theo. The actor recalled being told they were “very good at football” and jokingly replied that the casting team should remember that fact.
“And lo and behold, here I am,” Hayes said, adding that the role represents a “crazy matching” of their two worlds.
Welsh roots helped shape Rex Hayes’s career
While Hayes’s background is Welsh, Siobhan will not speak with a Welsh accent. The character is Irish, giving the actor a different cultural and vocal challenge in the new season.
Hayes has credited their early education and performances in Wales with helping build the confidence needed for a professional acting career. They attended a Welsh-language school and took part in the Eisteddfod, a major cultural and competitive arts festival.
The actor said those experiences, along with opportunities provided by the Welsh language and S4C, gave them an important platform. Hayes will return to this year’s Eisteddfod in Llantwd, near Llandudoch in north Pembrokeshire, to support their mother, who is performing there.
Hayes described the appearance as a touching “passing of the baton”, after their mother spent years supporting the actor’s own performances.
Why fans are excited about the Apple TV+ return
The arrival of The Lady Greyhounds gives Ted Lasso an opportunity to expand its world without abandoning the optimistic spirit that made the show a global success. Hayes has asked viewers to welcome the new cast with the same openness shown to the original Richmond players.
“Be curious, not judgemental,” remains one of Hayes’s favourite quotes from the series. The phrase also captures the challenge facing Season 4: introducing new characters while preserving the warmth, humour and emotional storytelling associated with the show.
- Rex Hayes plays Siobhan, a new Lady Greyhounds footballer.
- Aisling Sharkey plays Siobhan’s twin sister, Niamh.
- Ted returns from Kansas to coach AFC Richmond’s women’s team.
- Season 4 launches on Apple TV+ on 5 August.
For Hayes, stepping onto the set in the club kit and football boots was a moment they will never take for granted. For fans, the new season promises a bold change of direction, a lively new ensemble and another emotional chapter in the AFC Richmond story.
Frequently asked questions about Ted Lasso Season 4
When does Ted Lasso Season 4 premiere?
The new series launches on Apple TV+ on 5 August.
Who does Rex Hayes play in Ted Lasso?
Rex Hayes plays Siobhan, a footballer for AFC Richmond’s women’s team, The Lady Greyhounds.
What is different about Season 4?
Season 4 follows Ted’s return from Kansas as he coaches AFC Richmond’s second-division women’s team.
Who plays Siobhan’s twin sister?
Aisling Sharkey plays Niamh, Siobhan’s twin sister and on-screen rival.
