Matt Lucas Apologizes After Millie Bobby Brown Accuses Him of ‘Mocking’ Her Appearance

On Monday, Brown, 21, shared a video on Instagram in which she called out “disturbing” comments about her new look, accusing critics and media outlets of “bullying.” One of the headlines she referenced was a story of how Lucas compared the Stranger Things actress to his Little Britain character, Vicky Pollard.

“I want to take a moment to address something that I think is bigger than just me, something that affects every young woman who grows up under public scrutiny. I think this is very necessary to talk about,” Brown began in her video. “I started in the industry when I was 10 years old. I grew up in front of the world, and for some reason, people can’t seem to grow up with me. Instead, they act like I’m supposed to stay frozen in time, like I should still look the way I did on Stranger Things Season 1. And because I don’t, I’m now a target.”

“I want to talk about some of the articles that have recently [been] released when I’m on my press tour and some of the writers who are so desperate to tear young women down,” she continued, before listing several headlines: ‘Why are Gen Zers like Millie Bobby Brown ageing so badly?’, ‘What has Millie Bobby Brown done to her face?’, ‘Millie Bobby Brown mistaken for someone’s mom as she guides younger sister Ava through LA.’

She then referenced a headline about Lucas’ comments, ”Little Britain’s Matt Lucas takes savage swipe at Millie Bobby Brown’s new ‘mommy makeover’ look,” wondering why the outlet settled on “amplifying an insult rather than questioning why a grown man is mocking a young woman’s appearance.”

The article focused on how Lucas shared a post on X, formerly Twitter, in which he commented on Brown’s leaving a restaurant in Los Angeles with her younger sister. As shown in the photo, below, the Enola Holmes star wore a pink track jacket and her blonde hair was styled in an updo.

On X, Lucas shared the photos, comparing Brown to his Little Britain character, Vicky Pollard, who famously rocks a pink tracksuit and blonde hair. Alongside the photos of Brown, Lucas shared Vicky’s famous catchphrase, “No but yeah but.”

In her post, Brown slammed the comments about her appearance as “bullying.”

“This isn’t journalism. This is bullying. The fact that adult writers are spending their time dissecting my face, my body, my choices, is disturbing. The fact that some of these articles are written by women makes it worse,” Brown continued. “We always talk about supporting and uplifting young women, but when it comes down to it, it seems a lot easier to just tear them down for clicks. Disillusioned people can’t handle seeing a girl become a woman on her terms, not their own.”

“I refuse to apologize for growing up. I refuse to make myself smaller to fit the unrealistic expectations of people who can’t handle seeing a girl become a woman. I will not be shamed for how I look, how I dress, or how I present myself,” she added. “We have become a society where it’s so much easier to criticize than it is to pay a compliment. Why is it the knee-jerk reaction to say something horrible rather than to say something nice? If you have a problem with that, I have to wonder — what is it that actually makes you so uncomfortable? Let’s do better. Not just for me, but for every young girl who deserves to grow up without fear of being torn apart for simply existing.”

A few hours later, Lucas issued an apology to Brown on Instagram, and offered context behind his joke.

“Dear Millie, I just saw your post and wanted to respond, and provide some context,” he began in a statement. “Nearly 25 years ago I co-wrote and appeared in a sketch show called Little Britain. There was a character in it called Vicky Pollard, who had blonde hair and always wore a pink top, and in the photo you had blonde hair and wore a pink top so I pointed out the similarity by posting one of her catchphrases.”

“I thought you looked terrific and I was mortified when the press wrote that I ‘slammed’ you,  firstly because that’s not my style and secondly because I think you’re brilliant,” he continued. “I would not have posted it if I had thought it would have upset you but I reali[z]e it has and for that I apologi[z]e. Matt x.”

Brown has not publicly commented on Lucas’ apology.

Brown’s video about her addressing critics of her appearances comes just days after she responded to commentary that her new blonde hairdo has made her look older than her age.

Taking to her Instagram Stories on Thursday, the Damsel star shared a screenshot of a British Vogue article with the headline, “No One Cares How Old You Think Millie Bobby Brown Looks.” Alongside the photo, Brwon wrote, “thank you.”

In the piece, the author writes, “I disagree totally with the idea that celebrities should somehow expect to have to serve as our personal internet punching bags. The public-facing nature of the job doesn’t mean they should have to accept their own dehumanisation or memeification.” They also conclude, “This obsession with women and their age is a form of misogny. Beyond that, it’s boring.”