Watch Rick Astley’s Emotional Response to Ted Lasso Episode Featuring His Music

Ted Lasso has suckered us all (or at least, the large portion of the population who’s fallen in love with the show) into weeping over particularly emotional moments since it premiered in 2020.

It’s one of the show’s greatest triumphs — getting its audience to feel, to celebrate and grieve and feel all sorts of emotions along with its characters. But it’s safe to say that no one was prepared for the emotional punch the show’s writers could pack with one of the greatest Internet gags of the last two decades — a rickroll.

Ted Lasso has featured a number of popular songs as a part of its soundtrack, including works from the likes of British icons The Sex Pistols and Queen, but nothing has perhaps packed more impact than the use of “Never Gonna Give You Up”, the 1987 single by Rick Astley. The song, popularized by its use as a misleading Internet meme, was featured in this past week’s episode, “No Weddings and a Funeral”, as a favorite of Rebecca’s (Hannah Waddingham) mother, Deborah (Harriet Walter).

Ted-Lasso-Rebecca-Funeral — Image via Apple TV

However, the song’s real use came later on in the episode, when — spoilers — Rebecca is at a loss for words when speaking at her father’s funeral, choosing instead to sing the song as a replacement for the words she cannot find. Seeing a person in their hour of need, Ted (Jason Sudeikis), as always, helps out and joins in, and soon the entire church is aglow with the sound of the much-memed 80s classic.

The use of the song rightfully shocked everybody, including Astley himself, who addressed the phenomenon in a video posted to his Twitter, expressing his gratitude for the Ted Lasso writers’ choice to include his work in their story:

“It’s taken a little while for me to process what I think about the latest episode of Ted Lasso. I’m a massive fan of the show, and I was just completely blown away with what they did with that song. I have to say to Hannah Waddingham — Emmy Award-winning Hannah Waddingham — you did an amazing, incredible job. It was so emotional, so moving, so incredible. People have said they even cried [during] the church scene, I don’t want to give too much away, but…just amazing, thank you very much for including that song in your beautiful show…I’m blown away. Just fantastic.”

Astley has expressed his fondness for the phenomenon of rickrolling in the past, but Ted Lasso has taken it to an all-new level, and its cast has responded appropriately. Waddingham herself responded to the tweet, saying, “DM’d you [to say thanks]. Not going to embarrassingly fangirl in public!! #eveningmade” Frankly, we don’t blame her, but the real question now is: who gets the royalties for Rebecca’s acapella performance?

Ted Lasso recently won seven Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series, and is available to stream on Apple TV+ now. Check out Astley’s video below:

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