Joe Lycett addresses reaction to him becoming dad: ‘I’ve never said I’m gay’
Joe Lycett has become a dad with his girlfriend ‘Denise’. (Getty)
Joe Lycett (Image: FilmMagic)
Joe Lycett has addressed the surprised reaction from fans when he became a father, saying: “I’ve never said that I’m gay.”
The comedian said people assumed he was gay when he had a child with a woman, telling Fearne Cotton on her Happy Place podcast: “You know, I’ve never said that I’m gay because I’ve never been gay.”
Speaking on the podcast, the 38-year-old comedian said the reaction to his family news surprised him. The news came at a time when Lycett was pulling very public pranks on the British press.
“Lots of people were surprised when I had a child with a woman because they were like, ‘but you’re the gay man,'” Lycett said.
He suggested the assumption was linked to how audiences read his performance style. “But because I’m camp and I do innuendo and all those sorts of things people have this idea of what that is,” he continued.
Lycett also reflected on how he has leaned into that perception on stage, and what it means for the line between persona and private life.
“On stage, I kind of played on these things because they’re funny ultimately,” he said. “But how much of that has filtered into what I actually am? And is the stage persona the same as me? And, you know, these things sort of oscillate a lot.”
Becoming a dad
Lycett welcomed a baby boy with his girlfriend in 2024, and has kept the mother’s identity private because her job means she “can’t be in the public eye”.
He said on his Channel 4 chat show in 2024 that he had a girlfriend, adding: “I’ve talked about being bisexual for years but people presume I’m homosexual based on my entire personality… yes, I’ve got a girlfriend and people have been very nice about it.”
On Happy Place, Lycett said he took the first year of fatherhood off after saving enough money from “two months of hard work”.
He said paternity leave gave a chance to slow down, and he had “the time and space to process it all”.
Identity crisis
Lycett also spoke about struggling with his sense of self after becoming a parent.
“Six months, I had a real identity crisis and I sort of went through everything in my head,” he said, adding: “I just reflected on loads of things in my career and just was a bit embarrassed by it all and a bit like, you know, it’s so naff to be a comedian.”
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
