Joe Lycett is among the 21 celebrities taking part in the second series of Celebrity Traitors, which returned to television last night. The comedian would have been known by an entirely different name had he appeared on the programme just six years earlier.
Why did Joe Lycett change his name?
Joe officially changed his name to Hugo Boss in March 2020 as a demonstration against the fashion label. The profitable corporation had been issuing cease-and-desist notices to smaller enterprises and charitable organisations that were similarly using the term 'boss' in their trading names, reports Wales Online.
The comedian was particularly troubled when Hugo Boss dispatched a warning notice to Welsh firm Boss Brewing, previously operating in Swansea. He believed that the "massive company taking on a little company" wasn't "fair".
The deed poll protest
Speaking to the BBC, he contended that consumers wouldn't mistake a local brewery for the established Hugo Boss brand. The Birmingham-born performer therefore took the initiative himself and altered his legal name via deed poll.
Revealing his new identity on X, previously Twitter, Joe stated: "It's clear that @HUGOBOSS HATES people using their name. Unfortunately for them, this week I legally changed my name by deed poll, and I am now officially known as Hugo Boss. All future statements from me are not from Joe Lycett but from Hugo Boss. Enjoy."
Hugo Boss responds and Joe reverts
At the time, the fashion house Hugo Boss informed the BBC: "As an open-minded company, we would like to clarify that we do not oppose the free use of language in any way. We accept the generic term 'boss' and its various and frequent uses in different languages. We welcome the comedian formerly known as Joe Lycett as a member of the Hugo Boss family."
Joe's demonstration garnered substantial attention on social media, with over 50,000 users liking his announcement. However, the 38 year old subsequently reverted to his birth name. In April 2020, the television personality published an extensive statement disclosing that he had "decided to go back to the Lycetts". He continues to describe himself as "the comedian formerly known as Hugo Boss" on social media platforms.
The first episode of Celebrity Traitors season two is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
