Little Britain star Matt Lucas believes the funniest comedians are no longer on TV but on social media instead. The sketch-show legend, who first found fame on Vic and Bob shows, reckons the biggest laughs are now online as people switch off from terrestrial telly.
Comedy filmed in living rooms
He told the Radio Times: "Most of the comedy I enjoy now is filmed in people’s living rooms and posted online. If you’ve got a mobile phone, you can be a star. I love Limmy, he’s a complete one-off. Also there’s a Canadian comedian called Mitch Wood on Instagram who makes me howl."
In fact Lucas, who came up with national treasures like Vicky Pollard, admits he barely watches any comedy these days and prefers following his beloved Arsenal FC. "I mainly just watch football – weeks can go by when I watch nothing else," he spilled. "I like watching old documentaries on YouTube more than comedy, to be honest."
Taskmaster contestant
The person who made Lucas laugh the most is no longer with him: "My late husband Kevin [McGee] was the funniest person I’ve ever met. Also, we had a chocolate Labrador called Milo who was hilarious. He was so stubborn."
Lucas will soon be raising a smile as a contestant on the new series of Taskmaster, although things didn’t quite go to plan on the comedy game show. "I’m inept," he admitted. "If I get anything right, it’s by luck, not design – I was stumped most of the time. (Host) Greg Davies called me Grandad. Still, it was nice to get out of the house!"
Going head-to-head with other comedians brought out his combative side: "Which is why I don’t go near competitive TV shows, usually." Series 22 of Taskmaster featuring Matt Lucas starts on September 3.
