Phoebe Waller-Bridge says Obama’s praise for Fleabag was ‘extraordinary’
The writer and actress was speaking on the US chat show Ellen.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge has said it was “extraordinary” to receive praise from Barack Obama for her TV series Fleabag.
The former US president included the show at the top of a list of 2019 TV shows which he “considered as powerful as movies”.
Waller-Bridge told the US chat show Ellen: “That was the peak, I think, of all of this for me.
“That was extraordinary.”
Waller-Bridge, who created and starred in the series, also brought the suit that she wore to the Golden Globes awards onto the show.
She is auctioning her outfit in aid of the response to the Australian wildfires, following a prolific awards season in which she won at the Emmys and Critics’ Choice Awards.
“It has been touched and held by most of the people at the Golden Globes,” said Waller- Bridge, who won the best actress in a TV comedy prize.
“That was my excuse for going up and rubbing against everybody, to try and give it, sort of, that life.”
The highest bid for the suit is currently 40,000 Australian dollars (£21,000), with bidding set to end on Monday.
Waller-Bridge said that the devastation in Australia is “terrifying”.
She was being interviewed by the programme’s guest hosts actresses Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.
During the show, Waller-Bridge managed to raise 25,000 dollars towards the response to the Australian fires after playing Guess What’s Vibrating with Fonda and Tomlin.
She successfully helped them identify objects including a phone, a toothbrush and a back massager.
Fonda has a history of environmental activism and was arrested in Washington DC in October during climate protests.
She accepted an award from Bafta Los Angeles while being led away in handcuffs.
During the interview with Waller Bridge, Fonda said: “It is so heartbreaking.
“What a sign of the climate crisis. Poor Australia.
“The fires are so big they’re creating their own weather.
“A billion animals have burned.”
On Sunday, Phoebe Wall-Bridge is up for the outstanding performance by a female actor in a comedy series award at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
