Gay comic apologizes for past trans and racist jokes

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October 6, 2017 | Arts / Entertainment

Gay comic apologizes for past trans and racist jokes

British sketch comedy Little Britain made Matt Lucas and David Walliams famous. However, Lucas is now saying he finds the series "mean" and wouldn't make it today.

The BBC comedy series aired from 2003 until 2007. The two comedians would often dress as women, and at times portrayed trans characters. (One of Walliams' characters would often insist "I'm a lady.")

Perhaps more controversially, the two would also wear blackface in order to represent various minority groups.

"If I could go back and do Little Britain again, I wouldn’t make those jokes about transvestites," Lucas, who is openly gay, said. “I wouldn’t play black characters. Basically, I wouldn’t make that show now. It would upset people.”

He explained that as he has gotten older his views have evolved. “We made a more cruel kind of comedy than I’d do now. ... There was no bad intent there -- the only thing you could accuse us of was greed. We just wanted to show off about what a diverse bunch of people we could play.

“Now I think it’s lazy for white people to get a laugh just by playing black characters. My aim is to entertain, I don’t have any other agenda.”

Lucas made the comments while promoting his memoir, Little Me (My Life from A-Z).

One character we hope Lucas might one day bring back is Daffyd, the only gay in the village.

October 6, 2017 | Arts / Entertainment

Gay comic apologizes for past trans and racist jokes

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