Matt Lucas will appear on this weekend’s episode of Ant And Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, as the show makes a much-anticipated return to screens.  

The star has been at the forefront of British comedy for over 20 years, featuring prominently alongside David Walliams as the co-creator of Little Britain and Come Fly With Me – however it is his looks that have been hurtled into the spotlight of late. 

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 the loss of a family member changing his behaviour to shockingly being ‘thin-shamed’ at a football match, Matt was driven to diet and exercise. 

So why did Matt shed the pounds and overhaul his health? 

Matt Lucas will appear on this weekend’s episode of Ant And Dec ‘s Saturday Night Takeaway , after the show made a much-anticipated return to screens

Matt is pictured in 2018, prior to his vast weight loss

The star has been at the forefront of British comedy for over 20 years, featuring prominently alongside David Walliams as the co-creator of Little Britain and Come Fly With Me – however it is his looks that have been hurtled into the spotlight of late (the duo pictured in 2009) 

Matt is expected to appear on Ant And Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway on Saturday

Unexpected death of family member caused Matt to lose weight 

In 2022, Matt revealed how his family’s concerning medical history made him change his eating habits and become more conscious about his weight. 

Matt was just 22 when his father unexpectedly passed away at the age of 52, something he says was a much-needed wake-up call as he got older. 

In 2022, Matt revealed how his family’s concerning medical history made him change his eating habits and become more conscious about his weight (pictured in September)

Appearing on sports presenter Gabby Logan’s podcast at the time, he said: ‘I’m 48, my dad died when he was 52, very suddenly, his dad died I think at 56 so I was looking at the law of averages here.’

‘I was very big and I was getting bigger in the pandemic actually. Sort of not being very active, not really going out, not seeing people, just eating a lot of roast potatoes. I can’t tell you how many roast potatoes I ate!’

He said this realisation caused him to lose weight, but the comic said he felt like he needed to do more exercise and become fitter nonetheless.  

He added: ‘I was so big I couldn’t really fit on screen anymore. The thing is if you’re big, and by the way I’ve still got a proper tummy, I’m not skinny, by any means, I’ve just lost some weight…

‘I’ve gone from maybe an XXL, sometimes I was an XXXL, down to a medium now I think. Although medium is sometimes big on me and sometimes it’s small on me…

‘The one thing I need to do is get fitter, I have put on a little bit of weight, that’s my next challenge to do a bit more exercise. I might have to make a game of it 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 that.’

Matt is pictured with his mother Diana in 2006. His father passed away when Matt was just 22

Being thin-shamed at the football

After making a concerted effort to lose weight and become fitter, the last thing Matt might have expected was to be heckled for being thinner.

However, that was not the case, as Matt recounted following a shocking incident that occurred while he was attending a football match between his beloved Arsenal and Manchester United in April 2022

‘For the first time in my life, I think I’ve just been thin-shamed.’

His post received a flurry of support from well-wishers who congratulated him on losing weight. 

Replying to his post, actress Sarah O’Connell wrote: ‘You look amazing and, most importantly, happy’.

Another message of positivity read: ‘You look incredible and [the individual who confronted Matt] knows it’.  

After making a concerted effort to lose weight and become fitter, back in 2022, Matt revealed he had been a victim of ‘thin-shaming’

His post received a flurry of support from well-wishers who congratulated him on losing weight (Matt pictured in November)

Diabetes scare

In April 2020, Matt admitted that he was keen to ‘get fitter’ during his time in lockdown, after feeling he had ‘put on a little bit of weight’.

He said: ‘The one thing I need to do is get fitter, I have put on a little bit of weight, that’s my next challenge to do a bit more exercise.

‘I might have to make a game of it when I go out an exercise to stay out of people’s way. I don’t have a garden so I have to find a way to do that.’

The funnyman was previously told to reduce his daily calorie intake to 1,500 by doctors over fears he may develop diabetes.

The actor ditched his unhealthy lifestyle in a bid to shed some weight after piling on the pounds during lockdown (pictured left in 2005 and right last year)