English actor and comedian Matt Lucas was BOTD in 1974. Born in London, he studied drama at the University of Bristol and later at the National Youth Theatre, where he met his future comedy partner David Walliams. His first television appearances were in comedy series The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer and Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased). He partnered with Walliams to co-write and perform Mash and Peas, a radio comedy parodying children’s television co-written, followed by the short-lived TV sketch series Sir Bernard’s Stately Homes. They rose to great public attention with their 2000 radio show Little Britain, a sketch show featuring a series of suburban grotesques, intended to parody British culture. The show’s success led to an offer to develop the series for television. The resulting series, also titled Little Britain, premiered in 2003 and became a national phenomenon, vaulting them to stardom. Lucas’ most popular creations included teenage dropout Vicky Pollard, Daffyd Thomas the fiercely militant “Only Gay in the Village”, and slimming club doyenne Marjorie Dawes. After five wildly successful seasons, they retired the show, reuniting in 2010 for the short-lived TV sitcom Come Fly With Me. His post-Little Britain work has included appearances in the Australian TV series Kath & Kim, the films Bridesmaids, Alice in Wonderland, Shaun of the Dead and Paddington and a three year stint co-hosting TV baking competition The Great British Bake Off. In 2020, Little Britain was removed from streaming services Netflix and BBC iPlayer following criticisms of its racial and sexual stereotyping and transphobia, prompting Lucas and Walliams to issue public apologies. Openly gay since forever, Lucas entered into a civil partnership with boyfriend Kevin McGee in 2006, separating two years later. He recently appeared as a camp master of ceremonies in Ridley Scott’s swords-and-sandals epic Gladiator 2.