Florence "Flo" Collins, or Sassy is a recurring character featured in the Apple TV+ series, Ted Lasso, as the mother of Nora, a child psychologist, and Rebecca Welton's "best mate" since a very early age. Florence introduces herself as 'Sassy' to both Keeley Jones and Ted Lasso when she first meets them.
Contents
- 1 Resurrecting A Friendship
- 2 Relationship With Ted
- 3 Back In The Picture
- 4 The Funeral
Resurrecting A Friendship[]
When AFC Richmond are playing Everton F.C., in Liverpool, Sassy unexpectedly barges in to Rebecca's hotel suite, effortlessly reviving their friendship after about six years' separation. She calls Rebecca as 'Stinky' — initially as a mean to poisoned the young Rebecca's reputation with their classmates, but they formed a friendship, and the nickname stuck. She immediately falls in with Keeley, who finds her fascinating.
She manages to show Keeley sides of Rebecca the former had never suspected existed. One such thing is Rebecca's fairly significant singing voice, which Keeley and the whole of AFC Richmond witnesses during a post-victory karaoke session. In a brief moment of tough love, Sassy gently deal her friend an honest hand. She lovingly reminds Rebecca that, while her ex-husband is indeed terrible, Rebecca had let herself get imprisoned by Rupert's game-playing ways. Before they parted ways, Flo hopes that Rebecca would find a way to resurrect the fun-loving strong woman of their youth — melting away what she described to Keeley as the "old" Rebecca.
Relationship With Ted[]
During a chance encounter in their Liverpool hotel's lobby, Sassy and Ted quickly falls into a humorous banter, which they both seems to enjoy. Ted calls her 'Sassy Smurf' when he finds out her nickname. She is not quick enough, however, to get any contact information from him and laments the loss of the opportunity when Ted leaves. She ignores the hotel manager's obvious flirting and leaves.
When Rebecca, Sassy, and Keeley visits the Richmond locker room at Goodison Park after their winning against Everton, they are celebrating with the team. Rebecca introduces Ted to Sassy, but they are happily surprised to see each other again and hugs.
After Ted signs his divorce papers later that evening, she shows up on his doorstep and wordlessly pushes her way inside. The two ends up spending the night together. In the morning, Ted says that he and the team have to go back to Richmond upon Thames and bid her goodbye. He already paid for the room for the whole day, so Sassy can relax and spend some time in the hotel room, which she gladly accepts. Ted seems to worry and confused after having a one night stand with Sassy because he thinks it would anger Rebecca.
Back In The Picture[]
Sassy has to attend a conference in Brighton, so she leaves her daughter, Nora, with Rebecca. This would keep Nora busy, and allow the pair to bond. She runs into Ted again at Rebecca's office and happily greets him. It seems Rebecca don't have a problem with her best friend sleeping with Ted. After meeting her daughter, Ted is briefly worried that she was his child, to which Sassy replied with an incredulous, "Ted, we had sex, like, six months ago." She is very blunt about their sexual encounter in front of Rebecca, ultimately describing it as fabulous and it makes Rebecca gagged.
Sassy returns early to sit with Rebecca and Keeley at the VIP Box to watch the match against Coventry City FC. When AFC Richmond lost the game, the team celebrates it in the locker room because they finally break the tie streaks, and everyone is there including Sassy and her daughter. The team also congratulates Sam Obisanya for doing something brave by protesting against Dubai Air and accusing the Nigerian government for corruption, so they opted to take some pictures. Knowing that her daughter has a crush on Sam, Sassy asks Sam to take a picture with her. Sam happily obliges and even asks the team to pose some pictures with Nora, and eventually with her as well. Both Sassy and Nora are now part of the Richmond family.
The Funeral[]
When Rebecca's father passed away, she returns to her parents' house and stays at her old room. Sassy climbs to her best friend's room and greets Deborah. She reminiscences that she used to climb to Rebecca's room when they were younger, and surprised that her daughter isn't like her as Nora falls down from the tree.
Inside the church, Rupert Mannion greets Sassy but his politeness isn't being reciprocate by her, as she manages to insult him for hurting Rebecca and everyone else. Rupert claims that he is a changed man after the birth of his daughter, a claim that being taken in disbelief by her as she wishes him to die. She says that she will wear red to his funeral and then swears at him.
She then spends the afternoon at the funeral to support Rebecca and very excitedly yells at Kelley when she sees her at church. Keeley screams and runs towards her, and gives her a hug, while others watches their behaviour in shock. Sassy asks whether Keeley sees Ted yet, and when she teases her, she calls her a troll. But then she apologizes and says that she always say mean things to beautiful women. Keeley then says that there is a possibility that Rebecca is seeing someone secretly. Sassy is surprised and wonders whether it is appropriate to ask this question during this mourning day - which they decides they will ask Rebecca anyway.
While they are in a church private room, Sassy and Keeley asks Rebecca whether she is secretly seeing someone. Deborah says that she knows, and Keeley immediately guessed that it's Sam. The women screams and the priest angrily tells them to get out and be quiet. Rebecca quietly apologizes to Nora, but she seems impressed and calls her Boss-Ass Bitch. When Rebecca has to deliver an eulogy, she instead sings "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley which everyone also sings along, including Sassy.
During the wake at Deborah's house, Rebecca tells Keeley and Sassy that she is going to break up with Sam. Sassy jokes to a nervous Rebecca that the reason why she wants to break up with Sam is because the sex was too good. Sassy then leaves her friend and talk to Ted. After the reception, Ted and Sassy says goodbye to both Deborah and Rebecca, and the two goes home together. Deborah observes that 'Florence' likes wounded birds, referring to Ted.
