Matt Lucas has been seen in public for the first time since his former co-star David Walliams was accused of sexual assault and grooming several teenage girls.
Lucas, who created and starred in the sketch shows Little Britain and Come Fly With Me with Walliams, has not yet commented publicly on the allegations.
He was photographed in London this morning wearing a green padded jacket, a blue cap and sunglasses. The comedian kept his head down as he walked along the street.
Lucas has not been accused of any wrongdoing, but fans have increasingly urged him to address the allegations involving his long-time comedy partner.
Walliams denies all the accusations, which were published by The Guardian and ITV on Tuesday after an injunction was lifted at the High Court.
The pair met in 1990 at the National Youth Theatre, where they bonded over being the “funny ones” in their respective groups.
They went on to create Little Britain, which began as a radio programme in 2000 before becoming a television series that ran from 2003 to 2006.
According to Lucas, their friendship became strained during the Little Britain Live tour in 2005.
The pair ended their professional partnership in 2011 and lost contact until 2019, when they appeared together in a Little Britain spin-off.
Lucas was seen in London this morning wearing a green padded jacket, blue cap and sunglasses
Matt Lucas and David Walliams in the Awards Room at the 2004 British Comedy Awards
Lucas has not been accused of wrongdoing but has faced mounting calls from fans to comment on the allegations involving his former comedy partner
On Tuesday, Walliams was identified as the celebrity who had sought an injunction to block publication of the sexual assault allegations. It was reported that he had said he would take his own life if the claims became public.
One accuser, identified by ITV News and The Guardian as Jade, alleges that Walliams sexually assaulted her when she was 15 after contacting her online.
Jade says they met in Soho before Walliams drove her to his home in an Aston Martin. She alleges that he sexually assaulted her at Supernova Heights, the mansion once owned by Oasis star Noel Gallagher.
“He asked me to come over and gave me a hug. That’s when he kissed me,” Jade alleged of Walliams, who was 36 at the time.
“He lifted my top up and sucked on my breast and then tried to put my hand down his trousers. That’s when I pulled away and said, ‘No’. He had an erection at the time,” she said.
“I wasn’t ready for sex. I didn’t want to do that, with him or with anyone. I didn’t want to be touched in that way at all. I mean, I was only 15. It’s a sexual assault. It’s grooming. It’s completely wrong in every way.”
She said she had previously told him that she had been sexually abused as a child. According to Jade, Walliams responded: “Sorry to hear that.”
Another woman, identified only as Alex, alleges that Walliams began contacting her when she was 15 and preparing for her mock General Certificate of Secondary Education exams. She had met him at a Little Britain fan event, where he was dressed as his character Lou in a frizzy wig and leather jacket.
Their first meeting was captured on camera. Alex says they began a sexual relationship about two years later, when she was 17.
The pair created Little Britain, which started as a radio show in 2000 before becoming a television series from 2003 to 2006
Asked how she now feels about Walliams, Alex said: “I want to vomit. I hate him. My body reacts when I think about it. It’s like a trauma response. I think I was groomed. One hundred per cent.”
A whistleblower at Walliams’s former publisher, HarperCollins, which made millions from his children’s books, claimed: “There was an agreement, if you went to his house you had to go in a pair. You couldn’t go by yourself.”
Walliams, 55, a former judge on Britain’s Got Talent, launched a High Court bid to prevent the media from reporting the allegations, prompting intense online speculation about his identity.
However, a judge rejected his claim last week, and Walliams did not appeal before Monday’s 4.30pm deadline. ITV News and The Guardian identified him at midday on Tuesday.
The BBC is reviewing “all material featuring and written by David Walliams on our platforms” and is removing some programmes, including Little Britain, a spokesperson said. Walliams has also been dropped by his agents, ITG.
In a statement to ITV News and The Guardian, Walliams said: “Looking back, I realise that at times I behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with.
“I realise I did not always take people’s feelings properly into account. That is something I regret.
“Whilst a power imbalance is inevitable when one party is famous, abusing that power is something else entirely and it is something that I never did.
“I am not a sexual predator. I have not broken the law. I am devastated that some of the women I met ten to 20 years ago have now expressed hurt or anger towards me.”
Representatives for Lucas have been contacted for comment.