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Joe Lycett dedicates Comedy Award to ‘all my haters’

We did it, Joe!

By Alastair James & Charlotte Manning

Joe Lycett
Joe Lycett and Suzi Ruffell (Image: Aaron Parsons Photography)

Joe Lycett has given a typically tongue-in-cheek speech after winning the Comedy Award at the 2023 Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards, powered by Jaguar

The funnyman, TV star, and all-round good egg received the award on Wednesday (11 October)

Opening his speech, he joked, “I’m here to represent some right-wing balance so I’m dressed like an acid house Robert Mugabe.”

He was unsurprisingly met with a very positive reception from the rest of the room. 

“This is an acceptable life and it’s a good life” – Joe Lycett

“I don’t often come to these sorts of things, I find my anxiety really spikes,” he continued. He then joked about his recently bleached hair and the comparisons others have made to TV’s Rob Rinder, and Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

But he said it was important to be at the event because growing up he didn’t often see examples of people like him to look up to.

“Attitude was a very important part of understanding that it was ok to be acid house Robert Mugabe and that this is an acceptable life and it’s a good life.”

Thanking the queer community for being “very nice,” Joe then dedicated his award to “all my haters.”

Lycett garnered international attention at the end of 2022 when he called out David Beckham’s multi-million pound deal in Qatar. 

The ex-footballer and former gay icon was asked to terminate the partnership, which he failed to do so. 

In turn, beloved Brummie Lycett shredded Beckham’s 2002 Attitude cover, as well as £10,000 worth of fake notes – which he donated to LGBTQ+ charities. 

Earlier this month, Lycett also took aim at the Tory government via letter, when he called out Suella Braverman’s policy on asylum seekers.

In March he penned a similar letter to Liz Truss plotting her “route back to power.” and last September he had then-Prime Minister in his sights as he trolled her over her leadership win. 

That followed him saying he was “actually very right wing,” while discussing Truss on TV.

Dylan Mulvaney on the Attitude Awards issue
Dylan Mulvaney on the Attitude Awards issue (Image: Julia Johnson/Attitude)

The Attitude Awards issue is out now.