Britt Lower: Severance Star’s Weird Annual Christmas Tradition

Severance star Britt Lower reveals her “living room pageant” and 2026 Golden Globe goals.

annual Christmas pageant

Is it possible that the most important performance of a Golden Globe nominee’s year didn’t happen on a soundstage, but in her own living room while holding a ukulele?

For Britt Lower, the star of Apple TV+’s Severance, the answer is a resounding yes.

While the world prepares to see her face on every billboard leading up to the 2026 awards, Lower is busy basking in the “afterglow” of her annual Christmas pageant.

It is a homemade variety show where the primary goal isn’t excellence—it’s the deliberate, joyful act of making a fool of oneself.

The Hydration Talent Show 

Lower’s holiday tradition is a masterclass in lowering the stakes.

In an industry defined by perfectionism and “the edit,” her pageant celebrates the raw and the ridiculous.

One friend’s “talent” was simply drinking a glass of water to demonstrate hydration. Lower herself kicked off the night by playing a ukulele song she had never rehearsed.

“I allow myself to make a fool of myself,” Lower says. This isn’t just a quirky anecdote; it is a necessary psychological “exhale.” In her view, we all work too hard.

The holiday season isn’t just about decorations (though she and husband Kenna Kennor happily bridge the gap by putting their tree up in November); it’s about resting before the year demands an “inhale.”

Severing the Inner Critic 

Lower’s work on Severance has deeply influenced her perspective on these human moments.

Playing the dual roles of Helly R. and Helena Eagan has been a rigorous exploration of the internal war between the “inner critic” and the “inner child.”

Filming Season 2 taught her that every character—and every person—is just trying to figure out which of those two voices is allowed to speak.

By intentionally being “bad” at the ukulele during her Christmas party, Lower is effectively silencing the critic and letting the child win.

It is a practice in empathy that she believes makes her a better artist.

The Counter-Intuitive Power of Being “Bad” 

We are conditioned to only share our strengths. Lower argues the opposite.

Sharing a vulnerability or a lack of skill creates a communal “lovely” feeling that polished performances cannot touch.

Takeaways for a Better “Exhale”:

• Embrace the November Tree: If the holiday brings you peace, don’t wait for the calendar to give you permission.
• Praise the Mistakes: High-pressure roles require high-pleasure downtime.
• Find Your “Hydration” Talent: Not every contribution to a group needs to be a masterpiece; sometimes just being present is the talent.

The 2026 Horizon 

On January 11, 2026, the stakes will return to their highest point.

Nominated for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series – Drama, Lower will stand among giants like Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart.

But even as she savors the “huge privilege” of the nomination, she carries the lessons of the living room pageant with her.

Whether she is walking a red carpet or standing on a rug in her living room, Britt Lower has learned that honoring the journey—mistakes and all—is the only way to stay human in a world that often asks us to be machines.