Joe Lycett addresses sexuality after fans were shocked he became a dad with a woman
Joe Lycett welcomed a baby boy with his girlfriend - whom he jokingly refers to as "Denise" - in 2024.
Joe Lycett has addressed his sexuality after fans were shocked he became a dad with a woman.
The comedian, who has previously described himself as pansexual, meaning he is attracted to a person no matter their gender, said he has "never been gay", despite people assuming otherwise because of his camp persona, two years after welcoming a son with his girlfriend in a birth announcement many thought was a prank.
On the latest episode of 44-year-old Fearne Cotton's Happy Place podcast, Joe, 38, said: "Lots of people were surprised when I had a child with a woman because they were like, 'But you're the gay man.'
"You know, I've never said that I'm gay because I've never been gay. But because I'm camp and I, you know, do innuendo and all those sorts of things that people have this idea of what that is.
"On stage, I kind of played on these things because they're funny ultimately. 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."
Just six months into fatherhood, Joe - who has kept his girlfriend's identity private, jokingly referring to her as "Denise" - suffered an "identity crisis" and felt "embarrassed" by his comedy career after taking his first year of being a dad off.
The Last One Laughing star explained: "I was in a very lovely baby bubble that was great and just couldn't believe it.
"Then six months I had a real like identity crisis and I sort of went through everything in my head.
"I think it's because you're awake at such weird times trying to get him asleep and all those things where you just sort of it's a lot of what appears like madness and could be madness.
"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. I didn't really have a long period of reflection on what I'd done.
"[With paternity leave], we've got the time and space to process it all."
When he first announced the news that he had become a dad, Joe was inundated with several accusations of setting the whole thing up as a prank, but in November 2024, he insisted that was not the case.
He wrote in his newsletter: "I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who has been so lovely about my news (you may have seen on Instagram or in the press that I have just welcomed a son).
"I'm finding fatherhood to be a total delight. And to confirm, he’s defo not a stunt (although I appreciate I’ve cried wolf enough that might not be convincing) and as promised I will be appearing on the Parenting Hell podcast in the near future."
