‘Ted Lasso’ Season 4 Introduces New Characters, Here’s Who’s Joining the Team

Ted Lasso is returning for a fourth season, and AFC Richmond is getting a major makeover. After three years away from the pitch, the beloved Apple TV series is introducing a new group of characters as the story moves in a different direction.

The show first premiered in 2020 and quickly became one of Apple TV’s biggest hits. Jason Sudeikis’ optimistic American football coach became a fan favorite, with the series winning 13 Emmy Awards before ending its original storyline in 2023.

Fans continued hoping for a comeback, and Apple officially announced season 4 in 2025. Sudeikis, who also serves as an executive producer, teased that the new season would explore a different mindset for the AFC Richmond team.

“We all continue to live in a world where so many factors have conditioned us to ‘look before we leap,’” Sudeikis said when the renewal was announced. “In season four, the folks at AFC Richmond learn to ‘leap before they look,’ discovering that wherever they land, it’s exactly where they’re meant to be.”

The new season changes the focus from Ted coaching Richmond’s men’s team to him leading the club’s newly created women’s squad. Alongside returning characters like Rebecca Welton, Roy Kent, Keeley Jones, and Coach Beard, the show introduces several new players and coaches.

Tanya Reynolds joins the series as Alice Chilton, a coach for AFC Richmond’s women’s team. Reynolds is known for roles in Sex Education, The Decameron, and I Hate Suzie. She explained to Elle that Alice is someone who tries hard to appear stronger than she really is.

“I think Alice is trying really hard to be a version of herself that she is not,” Reynolds said. “She’s trying really hard to present as tough and sturdy and focused. She wants to be taken seriously to the point that she has lost all sense of humor and sense of softness.”

Abbie Hern also joins the cast as Gemma, a striker on the team. The actress, who appeared in My Lady Jane and Enola Holmes 2, told Elle that her character shares her own determination.

“I think Gemma and I are the same, in that if you tell us we can’t do something, by golly, we’re going to do it. We’ll always find a way,” Hern said.

Irish actress Aisling Sharkey plays Niamh, a footballer who joins Richmond with her twin sister Siobhan. Sharkey told Elle that Niamh has a strong desire to prove herself.

“Niamh’s got something to prove. She’s on the back foot. She was born a couple of minutes later than Siobhan, so therefore has something to prove, as most younger siblings do,” Sharkey explained.

Rex Hayes takes on the role of Siobhan, the other half of the Irish twin duo. Hayes brought personal football experience to the role after playing the sport throughout childhood. The actor described Siobhan as passionate but sometimes overwhelmed by her emotions.

“She’s quite intense and she’s got a lot of that passion manifesting in aggression. [She doesn’t] really know what to do with all of that feeling, all of that emotion,” Hayes told Elle.

Faye Marsay, known for Game of Thrones and Andor, plays Lizzie, a determined defender who never gives up. Marsay told Elle that her character’s biggest strength is her ability to keep fighting.

“She just keeps going. Even when things are absolutely awful, and she’s on her backside, she is able to access something that just keeps going,” Marsay said.

Jude Mack rounds out the new additions as Boots, Richmond’s unusual goalkeeper. Mack described the character to Elle as “a sort of maniac goalkeeper of the team” who is also searching for a deeper connection with others.

With a new team, a new challenge, and plenty of familiar faces, Ted Lasso season 4 looks set to bring a different energy while keeping the heart that made the series a global success.