Joe Lycett

Joe Lycett bangs the drum for Brum in United States of Birmingham

Lycett plays the daughter to a Midwestern farmer as they stand in front of their Carpenter Gothic style home

At a time when the “special relationship” between the UK and the US is on a knife edge, one man is doing his bit to extend the hand of friendship across the Atlantic. Comedian Joe Lycett has brought together 19 places called Birmingham in both countries to make a formal alliance – which, he claims, could stand in for Nato if necessary!

Coming to our defence would be the United States of Birmingham, the name of Lycett’s new Sky TV series.

Rhod Gilbert fronts personal documentary for Stand Up To Cancer

Stand up to Cancer logo, which has the words spelt out in capital letter and bold text, in the colours red, black, and orange. To the left, three arrows in matching colours point upwards.

Presenter Davina McCall and comedians Rhod Gilbert, Adam Hills, Joe Lycett and Munya Chawawa will be taking the lead on the live 90-minute fundraising extravaganza.

Among the special guests are Strictly legend Oti Mabuse, The Good Wife star Cush Jumbo, and Ghosts’ Kiell Smith-Bynoe and Charlotte Ritchie.

Late Night Lycett to return for a second series

Late Night Lycett

The first series celebrated inclusivity, with the city of Birmingham at the heart of the show. Each week, Lycett welcomed famous faces to the banks of Digbeth, including actor Dame Joanna Lumley, comedian and actor Rob Delaney, comedian Judi Love, presenter Alison Hammond, model and activist Munroe Bergdorf, reality star Gemma Collins and presenter Joel Dommett.

Joe Lycett to present new Friday night live comedy show for Channel 4

RTS Award-winning comedian and presenter Joe Lycett will present a new weekly Friday night comedy show live from his hometown of Birmingham.

The Joe Lycett Live Show (working title) will see the comedian review the week with the help of his community of local legends, LGBTQ+ heroes and allies, and famous faces from the worlds of comedy, television, music and film. A different group will join him each Friday.

Joe Lycett to take on David Beckham in Got Your Back special

Joe Lycett vs David Beckham: A Got Your Back Christmas Special will see the comedian ask one of football's global icons to stand up for what they believe in.

The announcement comes after Lycett's latest headline-making protest, in which he called on the former England footballer to renounce his role as an ambassador for the Qatar World Cup.

BBC Arts announces new show fronted by Joe Lycett

Credit: BBC/Richard Ansett

The programme will meet artists who create work across different disciplines and delve into why they love their craft so much. 

Lycett meets artists who have submitted their work to the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2022, which is the largest open entry art competition.

Lycett is known for his comedic exploits, but in 2018 submitted a small sculpture called 'Chris' to the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.    

Judges loved 'Chris', who was made out of clay and a tub of Pringles, and was displayed in the 2018 show.

Joe Lycett on Travel Man, being a champion of consumer rights and the infamous Sue Gray report

Credit: Matt Crockett

As the host of comedy consumer affairs series Joe Lycett’s Got Your Back, the comedian has campaigned on the behalf of many viewers, taking on big corporations and small-time fraudsters. “For me, it’s as much about the adrenaline rush of being like ‘I’ve got the bastards’ as opposed to any altruistic motivation,” he admits. 

Reflecting on the show’s conception, Lycett explains, “it sort of happened by accident and came out of the email correspondence I was doing in my stand up.”