‘Ted Lasso’ cast visit White House

Washington The cast of hit comedy series "Ted Lasso" was meeting President Joe Biden on Monday to promote mental health awareness, but the actors´ message was briefly eclipsed by a disgruntled journalist´s live-television outburst in the White House briefing room.

Jason Sudeikis, who stars as Ted Lasso, a baffled American football coach at a dysfunctional English soccer club, led fellow actors onto the daily briefing room podium alongside Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

"No matter who you are, no matter where you live, no matter who you voted for, we all probably -- I assume we all know someone... that´s struggled, that´s felt isolated, that´s felt anxious, that´s felt alone," Sudeikis told reporters.

That caring message -- building off the mental health challenges that the Lasso character faces in the series -- was, however, derailed briefly when a journalist began heckling.

The reporter for online outlet Today News Africa broke the storied briefing room´s unwritten rules by loudly repeating that he was not picked by Jean-Pierre to ask questions as often as he wanted, sparking uproar from other journalists as he refused to stop shouting.

A grim-faced Jean-Pierre, still standing next to the "Ted Lasso" actors, eventually threatened to call off the briefing and the heckler fell quiet.

Biden on Sunday tweeted a photo of the Oval Office with a sign reading "BELIEVE" taped above the door -- a reference to Lasso´s mantra.

The Biden administration said it has expanded mental health resources for young people and provided nearly $500 million to help states transition to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

"Ted Lasso" won Emmys in 2022 and 2021 for best comedy, best lead actor in a comedy for Sudeikis and best supporting actor in a comedy for Brett Goldstein, among other wins.

After winning in 2021, Sudeikis said the show was about family, mentors and teachers, and teammates.

"And I wouldn´t be here without those three things in my life," he said.