Hannah Waddingham has pulled out of performing at the Princess of Wales’ Christmas Carol concert on Friday night.
The Ted Lasso actress was set to sing In the Bleak Midwinter in front of 1,600 guests including members of the royal family at Kate’s Westminster Abbey service in London.
However, the 51-year-old was forced to bow out just minutes before the annual Together At Christmas ceremony began due to vocal strain caused by her gruelling work commitments.
The Game of Thrones star’s “singing voice has been compromised from an exhausting filming schedule”, MailOnline reported.
The singer Zak Abel will replace Waddingham and perform another carol, Silent Night - although this will not be reflected in the programme due to the last-minute change.
Waddingham, who attended last year’s service, will still be in the congregation at this year’s concert. Other performers include Griff, Katie Melua, and the Cornish folk band, Fisherman's Friends.
Waddingham has attended several royal events with Kate and Prince William, including the Festival of Remembrance in London last month.
She also hosted William's Earthshot Prize awards ceremony in 2023.
At Kate’s fifth Christmas concert this year, several famous faces will provide readings linked to the theme of love, compassion and connection.
Kate Winslet and Chiwetel Ejiofor, comic Babatunde Aleshe and rising actor Joe Locke will all take to the stage, accompanied by pianist Paul Gladstone Reid.
Celebrity chef Dame Mary Berry, who has created a Christmas wreath on display in the Abbey, will also be among the guests alongside leading sportswomen.
The princess will be joined at the service by Prince William, who will give a reading, and royal fans will be hoping their children George, Charlotte and Louis make an appearance alongside other members of the royal family.
The service recognises individuals from across the UK who may have dedicated or volunteered their time to be present with others, led initiatives that bring people in their community together, or offered a helping hand to those around them.
Some 15 community carol services, held in places including the Coronation Street Visitor Centre, an arts centre in Newbury and a community farm in Gwent, are also set to take place across the UK with the same love and togetherness theme.
Earlier this week, Kate shared an emotional letter praising the community stalwarts invited to her Christmas carol service, telling them they are making an “extraordinary difference to the lives of others”.
She extolled the Christmas period that reminds us “how deeply our lives are woven together”, adding that despite life feeling “fragmented or uncertain” at times, the festive season “invites us to remember the power of reaching out to one another”.
In her letter, which has been made available to carol service guests, Kate said: “This carol service offers a moment of collective togetherness, a chance to celebrate the spirit of community and service, and to honour the visible and invisible bonds that unite us all.
“The time, care and compassion you give, often quietly and unspoken, and without any expectation or recognition, make an extraordinary difference to the lives of others.”
She went on: “Christmas is a time that reminds us how deeply our lives are woven together. Just as the roots of trees share strength beneath the soil, unseen but vital, so too do we.
“We are drawn by an instinctive pull towards belonging and connection. Even with all the rushing around and familiar traditions, there is a quieter sense of what it calls out in us.”
The Westminster Abbey service is to air on ITV1 and ITVX on Christmas Eve and will be repeated on Christmas Day.
