There’s a reason why the priest in Fleabag is referred to by fans as the Hot Priest. It’s not that complicated, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the creator of the show, knows it.
"Fleabag came from a very personal place for me. It began as a way to get Andrew Scott to dress up as a priest and tell me that he loves me," Waller-Bridge joked during her Saturday Night Live monologue. "It took me six years and two seasons to achieve it, but I did it."
Scott has garnered the undivided (read: thirsty) attention of literally everyone who has watched the show. We might have been confused at points as to whether Hot Priest’s back-and-forth with Fleabag was irresistible sexual tension or, at times, manipulative. We have rewatched the series and three things hold true: it’s a brilliant show, the speech at the wedding makes us cry every time, and Hot Priest’s allure is not easily articulated...until now.
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During her inaugural SNL host monologue of what we hope is one of many more to come, Waller-Bridge attempted to explain why we all think Priest wasn’t a descriptive enough character name. “Obviously, Andrew is hot, but this priest character caused such a horn-storm,” said Waller-Bridge. “Andrew and I were trying to figure out what it was about him that was driving women so mental.” The answer is quite simple. Really, it’s not that deep. “We boiled it down and realized he was doing this one thing: listening. Really, really listening. Try it, guys,” Waller-Bridge said with a cheeky smile.
That goes for everyone. Quick tip: if you want to have the same inexplicable allure as the Hot Priest, active listening — and maybe sharing a couple cans of gin and tonic — are the way to most people’s hearts, and Fleabag proved it.