Ted Lasso’s Toheeb Jimoh breaks down that shocking twist

Previously, we saw Rebecca excitedly messaging with a charming stranger, who at one point was implied to be Ted Lasso himself. But in episode six ("The Signal") he is revealed to actually be Richmond FC rising star, Sam.

Toheeb Jimoh spoke to RadioTimes.com about the heartwarming new story arc, pointing out that a select group of fans actually saw this development coming.

"It's funny because I feel like some people are going to feel like it's such a left turn," he says. "But there's so many people on social media who have messaged me and been like, 'Is Sam and Rebecca a thing? Is that gonna happen?' And so, there's definitely a pocket of the fanbase who had their eye on this and who are quietly shipping them together."

Jimoh continues: "So when it came and happened, I wasn't surprised. We've spoken about it and it's been hinted at a little bit. I was just super excited, and me and Hannah are best friends on the set, she’s just like a goofy kid, so I love whenever I get to do scenes with her."

The final scene of episode six sees Sam message Rebecca asking if she would like to meet up in person soon, but neither he nor his boss are aware of who they are speaking to just yet.

It remains to be seen what will happen when they finally arrange their blind date, but Jimoh is keen to see the two of them take their friendship to the next level.

He explains: "It's one of those things where on paper, of course, it doesn't make sense: she's his employer and there's also a massive age gap. But then when you see them together... they are just two people who are compatible. Like, they’re soul bonded in a way... so you just kind of go, ‘Well then, why couldn't it work?'

"I kind of want to see this happen, and I want to explore it and see how far it can go. I really believe it's one of those things where if you find two people who are compatible on that level, who make each other happy, then I don’t care – just go for it and as long as you're happy then fine."

The response to this twist from Ted Lasso's super passionate fanbase is sure to be massive, with Jimoh telling us that he plans to avoid his phone for a week after episode six drops.

His hope is that the Sam and Rebecca romance will be a big enough bombshell to "break Twitter", saying that he "can't wait" for fans to finally be let in on the secret.

"This is the thing that I'm most interested in seeing what people's opinions are, because I think it could maybe divide the fanbase," he says. "Who knows? Maybe it won't, but I just want to see what people's response to it is. It’s gonna be chaos either way."

Ted Lasso season two is streaming now on Apple TV+, with new episodes every Friday. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.