Who Plays Gemma in Ted Lasso Season 4? Meet Abbie Hern

Season 4 of Ted Lasso introduces the Lady Greyhounds, AFC Richmond's women's team. Episode 3, "Richmond's Got Talent," fills out the squad via open tryouts and brings several new players into the story. One of the standout additions is Gemma Jay, the team's new striker.

Gemma Jay appears as a high-level striker with a notable backstory: she gave up a professional football career to pursue a law degree. She's a former teammate of Alice Chilton, the Lady Greyhounds assistant coach, and their shared past creates immediate tension and narrative potential. The two must navigate different career stages and personal priorities while figuring out how to help Richmond progress on the pitch.

Gemma Jay is played by Abbie Hern, a 29-year-old Welsh actor and Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama alum. Hern's on-screen work began in 2020 with a role on Jordan Peele's The Twilight Zone. Since then she's appeared in several projects that expanded her profile, including The Pact, Peaky Blinders, Enola Holmes 2, and My Lady Jane. Her casting puts a relatively young performer into a high-visibility role within Ted Lasso's established ensemble.

On-Set Chemistry and Character Dynamics

Hern told Decider that she and Tanya Reynolds quickly found a comfortable working relationship. She described Reynolds as one of the most talented and "real" people she's met and said Reynolds encouraged a relaxed set atmosphere where mistakes were allowed. That ease between the actors is intended to translate to the screen, especially as Gemma and Alice sort through their history and figure out how to play together for the team.

The Lady Greyhounds tryouts introduce multiple new players: Shannon, Lizzie, Boots, and Gemma. Gemma's combination of on-field ability and the off-field choice to pursue law creates a head-versus-heart dilemma for the character and a natural storyline: can someone integrate back into a competitive team after stepping away for another career path? Her prior connection with Alice gives the show a ready-made personal subplot while the team's broader arc continues.

Ted Lasso Season 4 episodes release on Apple TV. New episodes, including the ones that introduce the Lady Greyhounds and Gemma, arrive on Wednesdays.

Gemma Jay is a purposeful addition to Season 4's roster: a skilled striker with a layered past who creates both sporting and interpersonal storylines. Abbie Hern brings professional credits and drama training to the role, and her rapport with Tanya Reynolds suggests the character interactions will feel natural on screen.