This posh house in the Richmond district is home to the pub Coach Ted Lasso likes visiting in the series. Now, a series of break-ins is worrying the residents.
When life imitates art—and by art, we mean wildly improbable sitcoms—things get a little too real in Richmond.
Hannah Waddingham (50) as Rebecca Welton, owner of the football club AFC Richmond, with title hero and football coach Ted Lasso (played by Jason Sudeikis.
Picture this: a posh Georgian villa, a peaceful Richmond street, and a gang of burglars who seemingly binge-watched Ted Lasso before plotting their crimes. London police are chasing the so-called “Ted Lasso burglars,” a crew that took location-scouting tips straight from the Apple TV+ hit comedy. Their spree? A four-villa robbery extravaganza worth a jaw-dropping €2.4 million ($2,503,572.00).
One of the homes targeted? None other than Rebecca Welton’s residence—at least, the one she graces onscreen. That’s right, Hannah Waddingham’s fictional digs, worth nearly €4 million ($4,172,860.00), became part of the gang’s grand heist plan. The other three victims? Fellow Ted Lasso filming locations, naturally. Coincidence? Hardly.
Singer Richard Ashcroft (now 53) owns one of the villas in Richmond that was broken into by unknown persons.
“They knew what they were doing,” a local told The Sun. “You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out that someone in the gang has seen the show. Maybe they even have a favorite character.” Let’s hope it’s not Nate the Great.
But these thieves didn’t stop at Welton’s doorstep. Oh no, their reach extended to real-life rock royalty. Richard Ashcroft, former frontman of The Verve and the voice behind “Bitter Sweet Symphony,” was caught up in this crime spree’s greatest hits. The burglars swiped valuables worth over €1 million ($1,042,885.00), including a rare Patek Philippe watch, leaving Ashcroft and his wife Kate Radley to mourn their “lucky in misfortune” status. At least they weren’t home when the robbers came calling.
Not everyone was so fortunate. One family had the misfortune of witnessing a break-in firsthand, forcing them to abandon their dream home. Traumatized and rattled, they’ve since relocated, leaving Richmond to the brazen charm of Georgian architecture—and burglars with surprisingly niche TV tastes.
Interior shot of the home of Lasso boss Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham), which is in Richmond
Scotland Yard is now on the case, but the plot thickens with a twist worthy of a Ted Lasso finale: the culprits might hail from South America. Professional, organized, and presumably streaming Apple TV+ with subtitles, this crew has left investigators scratching their heads—and maybe setting up parental controls.
But there’s a silver lining for Ted Lasso fans. Rumors are swirling that our favorite mustachioed optimist might return for a fourth season. So, while the fictional AFC Richmond might thrive in their posh corner of London, let’s hope life stops imitating art for the actual residents of Richmond.
As Ted himself might say, “Richmond may have class, but the burglars? They’ve got a plan.”
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