BAFTAs, Emmys, Golden Globes, Critics Choice awards and now the Screen Actors Guild Awards… It’s certainly been a year in the life of Phoebe Waller-Bridge and the cast of Fleabag.

At awards ceremony after awards ceremony, Waller-Bridge and her collaborators have been feted for their incredible work on the television series, bringing such flawed and imperfect and, ultimately, human characters to life. This brilliant run of awards ended at the 2020 Screen Actors Guild Awards, where the cast of Fleabag were nominated one last time for their final season.

Waller-Bridge, who has already picked up an Emmy, a BAFTA and a Golden Globe for her work on the series, won the SAG Award for Best Actress. (The series lost out in the Best Comedy category to The Marvelous Mrs Maisel.) 

After a big hug from her co-star Andrew Scott, Waller-Bridge took to the stage to accept her award overcome with emotion.

“Oh my god,” she said. “Thank you everyone!”

She continued: “I normally try and be spontaneous in these speeches but I don’t trust myself not to be bleeped out again so I’ve written something down.” Waller-Bridge went on to thank her agents, team and behind the scenes collaborators, before pausing to deliver her message.

“This is what I really wanted to say,” Waller-Bridge began. “The Fleabag team go home tomorrow, back to the UK. Except for Brett [Gelman], who you get to keep. Lucky things. I have to say from the bottom of our heart, thank you for being so supportive of our show on these shores. With all the chaos of the outfits and the interviews and the six pack that my makeup artist drew on me this evening. All the pre-drinks and after parties and all the amazing Hollywood-y things that happen here, it’s really easy to get distracted from the thing that has actually happened to us.”

“At some point it will all hit me and I’ll just go into a corner and have a good cry about it,” she added. “But tonight, we, the Fleabag gang from the UK will soak this up and celebrate with all of you amazing actors in a room that I never imagined I would ever be in. This whole thing really has been a dream and if I wake up tomorrow and discover it was just that, thank you. It’s been the most beautiful dream.” 

Fans on social media – including Geena Davis, who described Waller-Bridge’s words as “lovely” – responded with enthusiasm for the actor’s heartfelt and moving speech.

“Aw. I love that Phoebe Waller-Bridge gave such a sweet, sincere speech. I’m going to miss Fleabag,” one wrote on Twitter. 

“Phoebe should get another award for writing that speech,” another fan added. 

Others mentioned that they were moved to tears by Waller-Bridge’s words.

Thanks for the Fleabag memories, Phoebe. We hope the cast of Fleabag are celebrating this “beautiful dream” as raucously as possible tonight. It’s what Fleabag would have wanted.

Images: Getty