Matt Lucas has admitted he’s ‘mortified’ and issued an apology to Millie Bobby Brown after comparing her to one of his Little Britain characters.
The Stranger Things actress, 21, has fired back after several unsolicited comments over her appearance in recent days.
One of those included comedian Matt comparing her to Vicky Pollard, retweeting images of Millie wearing a pink tracksuit and silver hoops with her blonde hair tied up into a messy bun.
He captioned it with the Little Britain character’s iconic phrase: ‘No but yeah but.’
Matt has now issued an apology, saying: ‘Dear Millie, I just saw your post and wanted to respond, and provide some context.
‘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.’
He said he thought Millie ‘looked terrified’ and was left ‘mortified’ when it was reported that he ‘slammed’ her, adding: ‘Firstly because that’s not my style and secondly because I think you’re brilliant.’
‘I would not have posted it if I had thought it would have upset you but I realise it has and for that I apologise. Matt x,’ the former Bake Off presenter concluded.
This comes after Millie shared an emotional video on Instagram addressing the comments on her appearance.
She said: ‘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 it’s necessary to speak up about this.
‘I started in this 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 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.’
She went on to point out some of the articles that she thinks are ‘so desperate to tear young women down,’ including one which referenced Matt’s comparison.
She said it was ‘amplifying an insult rather than questioning why a grown man is mocking a young woman’s appearance.’
‘This is bullying,’ Millie went on, saying the attention on ‘my face, my body, my choices, it’s disturbing’.
Millie continued: ‘We always talk about supporting and uplifting young women, but when the time comes, it seems easier to tear them down for clicks.
‘Disillusioned people can’t handle seeing a girl become a woman on her terms, not theirs.
‘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.
‘We have become a society where it’s so much easier to criticize than it is to pay a compliment.
‘Why is 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.’
Millie was showered in support from famous friends and fans alike in the comments.
Sex And The City’s Sarah Jessica Parker wrote: ‘Enormously proud of you. Xxx, SJ.’
Stacey Solomon added: ‘Louder for the people at the back! You’re incredible Millie. And so grounded & intelligent. I love this & everything you’re standing for.’
Ava Michelle added: ‘So incredibly well said.’
Mckenna Grace also wrote: ‘No young woman or person deserves to feel pressure or cruelty for simply existing. You are so well spoken and so beautiful. Very well said, thank you for making this video.’
Millie, who married the son of Jon Bon Jovi, Jake Bongiovi, last year, has previously spoken about having to delete her social media after receiving constant trolling, bullying and judgement.
‘It’s really hard to be hated on when you don’t know who you are yet,’ she told Allure at the time.
‘So it’s like, “What do they hate about me? ’Cause I don’t know who I am.”‘
‘It helped to be able to understand that I don’t need to be anything they said that I need to be,’ she went on.
‘I just have to develop within myself. That’s what I did. That’s what I’m doing.’
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