Matt Lucas will appear on this weekend’s episode of Ant And Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, as the show makes a long-awaited return to screens.
The star has been at the forefront of British comedy for over 20 years, featuring prominently alongside David Walliams as co-creator of Little Britain and Come Fly With Me; However, it is his appearance that has become the center of attention lately.
Outside of acting, the comedian has been open about his weight loss journey, including the heartbreaking reason that initially encouraged him to lose weight.
From losing a family member that changed his behavior to feeling surprisingly “embarrassed” at a football game, Matt was driven to diet and exercise.
So why did Matt lose weight and improve his health?
Matt Lucas will appear on this weekend’s episode of Ant And Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, after the show made a long-awaited return to screens.
Matt is pictured in 2018, before his big weight loss.
The star has been at the forefront of British comedy for over 20 years, featuring prominently alongside David Walliams as co-creator of Little Britain and Come Fly With Me; However, it is his appearance that has drawn attention lately (the duo photographed in 2009)
Matt is expected to appear on Ant And Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway on Saturday.
The unexpected death of a family member caused Matt to lose weight.
In 2022, Matt revealed how his family’s troubling medical history caused him to change his eating habits and become more conscious of his weight.
Matt was just 22 years old when his father passed away unexpectedly at the age of 52, something he said was a much-needed wake-up call as he was growing up.
In 2022, Matt revealed how his family’s troubling medical history caused him to change his eating habits and become more conscious of his weight (pictured in September).
Appearing on sports presenter Gabby Logan’s podcast at the time, he said: “I’m 48 years old, my father died when he was 52, very suddenly, his father died, I think at 56, so I was looking at the law of the averages here.”
‘I was very big and I was actually getting bigger during the pandemic. Like not being very active, not going out much, not seeing people, just eating a lot of roast potatoes. I can’t tell you how many roast potatoes I ate!
He said the realization made him lose weight, but the comedian said he felt like he needed to exercise more and get in shape anyway.
And he added: “It was so big that it no longer fit on the screen.” The thing is that if you’re big, and by the way I still have a good belly, I’m not thin, far from it, I’ve just lost some weight…
“I went from maybe an XXL, sometimes it was an XXXL, until now I think I’m a medium. Although the medium is sometimes too big for me and sometimes too small…
‘The only thing I need to do is get in shape, I’ve put on a little weight, that’s my next challenge: exercise a little more. I might have to make it a game when I go out and exercise to stay out of people’s way. “I don’t have a garden, so I have to find a way to do it.”
Matt is pictured with his mother Diana in 2006. His father passed away when Matt was just 22 years old.
Feeling embarrassed in football
After making a concerted effort to lose weight and get fitter, the last thing Matt could have expected was to be booed for being thinner.
However, that was not the case, as Matt recounted following a shocking incident that occurred while attending a soccer match between his beloved Arsenal and Manchester United in April 2022.
“For the first time in my life, I think I’ve been a little embarrassed.”
His post received an outpouring of support from well-wishers who congratulated him on losing weight.
In response to her post, actress Sarah O’Connell wrote: “You look amazing and, most importantly, happy.”
Another message of positivity read: ‘You look amazing and (the individual who confronted Matt) knows it.’
After making a concerted effort to lose weight and get fit, back in 2022, Matt revealed that he had been a victim of ‘thin shaming’.
His post received an outpouring of support from well-wishers who congratulated him on losing weight (Matt pictured in November).
Diabetes scare
In April 2020, Matt admitted he was looking forward to “getting fit” during his time in lockdown, after feeling like he had “gained a bit of weight”.
He said: “The only thing I need to do is get fit, I’ve put on a bit of weight, that’s my next challenge – to exercise a bit more.”
“I might have to make it a game when I go out to exercise to stay out of people’s way.” “I don’t have a garden, so I have to find a way to do it.”
The comedian was previously told by doctors to reduce his daily calorie intake to 1,500 over fears he could develop diabetes.
The actor ditched his unhealthy lifestyle in a bid to lose some weight after packing on the pounds during lockdown (pictured left in 2005 and right last year).