Little Britain: Matt Lucas and David Walliams ‘very sorry’ for use of blackface and racial sterotypes

Roisin O'Connor
·2 min read
Matt Lucas and David Walliams as characters 'Florence and Emily' in the comedy sketch show Little Britain: PA
Matt Lucas and David Walliams as characters 'Florence and Emily' in the comedy sketch show Little Britain: PA

Matt Lucas and David Walliams have apologised for portraying characters of different ethnicities in sketches on Little Britain, many of which used blackface.

Walliams used black makeup and an afro wig to play the character Desiree DeVere, while Lucas used blackface to play Pastor Jesse King.

Earlier this week, the show was removed from BBC iPlayer, Netflix and BritBox after it came under renewed scrutiny amid Black Lives Matter protests.

A spokesperson for the BBC said: “There’s a lot of historical programming available on BBC iPlayer, which we regularly review. Times have changed since Little Britain first aired so it is not currently available on BBC iPlayer.”

In a new statement, Lucas and Walliams said they regretted “[playing] characters of other races”.

"David and I have both spoken publicly in recent years of our regret that we played characters of other races. Once again we want to make it clear that it was wrong and we are very sorry," Lucas tweeted.

Lucas commented in 2017 that they made “a more cruel kind of comedy than I’d do now”.

Come Fly With Me, the duo’s sketch show set at an airport that also used blackface and racially stereotyped characters, has also been removed from Netflix.

A number of white celebrities have issued apologies for using blackface during sketch shows.

TV presenters Ant and Dec apologised for their use of blackface and yellowface during pranks on the casts of Emmerdale and Coronation Street for Saturday Night Takeaway.

In the US, Jimmy Fallon apologised over an SNL sketch from 2000, in which he can be seen impersonating the comedian Chris Rock.

On Tuesday 26 May, Fallon tweeted: “In 2000, while on SNL, I made a terrible decision to do an impersonation of Chris Rock while in blackface. There is no excuse for this.

“I am very sorry for making this unquestionably offensive decision and thank all of you for holding me accountable.”

Read more

Harry Enfield defends blackface and uses racial slur live on BBC radio

Ant and Dec apologise for wearing blackface on Saturday Night Takeaway

Little Britain removed from streaming over blackface concerns