Tanya Reynolds has joined the fourth season of Apple TV+'s "Ted Lasso" as Alice Chilton, the tough and guarded coach of AFC Richmond's newly introduced women's football team. Her arrival forms part of a wave of new cast additions as the beloved comedy returns for a much-anticipated new run, three years after its Season 3 finale, and marks a notable shift in tone given Alice's stark contrast to Ted Lasso's trademark warmth and optimism.

Reynolds said co-creator Jason Sudeikis cast her without showing her the script, instead briefing her on Alice's personality and backstory so she could work out the psychology behind the character's coldness. Season 4 premiered on 5 August, with returning stars including Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple and Jeremy Swift alongside newcomers such as Abbie Hern, Jude Mack, Faye Marsay and Rex Hayes. The show, created by Sudeikis, Brendan Hunt, Bill Lawrence and Joe Kelly, has racked up more than 25 billion streamed minutes and multiple Emmy wins, and members of professional women's team Angel City FC attended the premiere to mark the show's focus on women's football.