Phoebe Waller-Bridges 'Fleabag' Sweeps Emmys, Beats Out 'Veep' In Major Categories

“Fleabag” creator and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge swept the 71st annual Emmy Awards, taking the stage a whopping three times.

Waller-Bridge edged Julia Louis-Dreyfus  of “Veep” out of what would have been a history-making win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. “Fleabag” also beat “Veep” in a surprise win for Outstanding Comedy Series, and Waller-Bridge took home a third trophy for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy. 

Had Louis-Dreyfus who played Selina Meyer on HBO’s “Veep” and had been the frontrunner for the Lead Actress award won, she would have been the winner of more Emmys than any other actor.

Upon her win for acting, the 34-year-old Waller-Bridge said: “No! Oh my God. No! Thank you. I find acting really hard and really painful. But it’s all about this. Thank you to be nominated with these unbelievable actresses.”

She went on to say of her “Fleabag” co-stars: “It’s so sickening how much we love each other.”

Her third time on stage, the London-born Waller-Bridge quipped, “Well, this is just getting ridiculous” and reflected on her show’s humble beginnings. ”‘Fleabag’ started as a one-woman show at Edinburgh Festival in 2014 and the journey has been absolutely mental,” she said.

Waller-Bridge also recognized Andrew Scott, who played “Fleabag” fan favorite Hot Priest.  She noted that the show’s highly praised second season would not have “happened or exploded in the way that it did if it were not for Andrew Scott, who came into the ‘Fleabag’ world as a whirlwind.”

Both “Fleabag” and “Veep” were up for trophies for the final time. Waller-Bridge has said that there will not be another season of her show, and “Veep” aired its series finale in May of this year.

Perhaps Louis-Dreyfus will make Emmys history with her next hit. In the interim, we’ll be binge-watching both of these women-helmed shows until the end of time.