Juno Temple recently confirmed that her character on Ted Lasso, Keeley, is inspired by Jason Sudeikis’ girlfriend and Ted Lasso guest feature, Keeley Hazell.
Ted Lasso is the run-away hit comedy Apple Plus series by actor and executive producer Jason Sudeikis.
First premiering in 2020, the seven-time Primetime Emmy winning series has two seasons to date, as fans await confirmation of season three, as Apple Plus has yet to share any official word on the matter.
However, ahead of the premiere of season two in July 2021, one of the fan conspiracy theories was proven to be true.
This is after it was speculated that the character of Keeley Jones on the show was inspired by Sudeikis’ girlfriend, model and actress Keeley Hazell.
What is Ted Lasso about?
Ted Lasso was created by Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly and Bill Lawrence. The show premiered on Apple Plus in 2020, and the premise of the sitcom is of an “American college football coach Ted Lasso heads to London to manage AFC Richmond, a struggling English Premier League soccer team.”
In the leading role is Jason Sudeikis, who is also credited as one of the executive producers of the sitcom. Moreover co-creator, Brendan Hunt, also features as a main cast member playing the role of Coach Beard.
Following its premiere, the sitcom quickly became one of Apple Plus’ flagship shows, due to its success.
Is Keeley in Ted Lasso based on Keeley Hazell?
Ted Lasso’s Keeley Jones is played by acclaimed actress Juno Temple. We are introduced to the character as part of the main supporting cast members.
In the world of the story, Keeley is a former model, influencer turned businesswoman running the PR firm behind the football club’s marketing.
She is also the girlfriend of the soccer team’s captain, as she built a rapport with Ted Lasso by showing him how her boyfriend likes things run.
During season one, Jason Sudeikis confirmed that he is dating model-actress Keeley Hazell, following his breakup from Olivia Wilde.
Due to the similarities between Hazell and the characterisation of Temple’s Keeley, fans began to speculate that Hazell inspired the role.
During the season two promotional run for Ted Lasso, Temple confirmed the speculation by stating, “She is a (friend) of Jason (Sudeikis’) that inspired some of Keeley’s character.”
Keeley Hazell on Keeley Jones
Keeley Hazell seemed to be well-aware that the character of Keeley Jones was inspired by her. This is as, ahead of her season two debut as Bex on the sitcom, Hazell had poked fun at the matter.
In an Instagram post confirming her debut on the sitcom, she shared a comical post. The post was of an image of her herself, jokingly confusing her real name and that of her character by writing, “Meet ‘Keeley,’ sorry, sorry, I meant ‘Bex.’”
Is Ted Lasso season 3 confirmed?
A season three renewal of Ted Lasso was confirmed in October 2020. This is as season two of the sitcom was greenlit ahead of the end of season one.
However, the contractual negotiations are believed to have taken place in September 2021, in order to ensure that the cast returns for season three, because the cast reportedly signed a two-season contract.
Therefore, re-negotiations had to take place to ensure that the entire main cast and supporting cast returns for season three. Currently, it seems that all is going accordingly.
When will Ted Lasso season 3 come out?
Apple Plus has yet to confirm the release date for the third season of Ted Lasso. However, it was initially believed that the show would release season three in line with the two previous seasons in mid-summer, July 2022.
However, a post by co-creator Brendan Hunt, seemingly suggested that production on season three started earlier than expected at the beginning of January 2022.
Therefore, fans hope that this indicates that season three’s release date will be pushed forward. However, at this time, there has been no official word on the matter.
Conclusion
Ted Lasso is the 2020 hit sitcom from Apple Plus that stars Jason Sudeikis in the lead.
The comical relief that the two seasons provided, has not only proven to be a ratings’ hit with subscribers, but it has also resulted in the series being dubbed a critically acclaimed comedy with seven Primetime Emmy wins to date.
Ahead of season two, one of the conspiracy theories that has been laid to rest is the matter of the inspiration behind Keeley Jones, played by Juno Temple.
Temple confirmed that her character was inspired by model-actress Keeley Hazell, who also happens to be Jason Sudeikis girlfriend.