TV Transvestite Divorces Partner
20th June 2008
Matt Lucas - the comedian who is famous for playing a transvestite on the popular TV show Little Britain – is divorcing his partner of six years. Matt Lucas and TV producer Kevin McGee ‘married’ 18 months ago in a fancy dress civil partnership ceremony.
In a joint statement, the pair’s legal teams announced: “It is with sadness that Matt and Kevin announce that their relationship has come to an end. Their separation is amicable.”
Lucas and McGee are the first gay celebrity couple to ‘divorce’ since civil partnerships were first introduced, so their divorce could be seen as a test case. Some people have speculated that Lucas might have to pay his former partner millions of pounds following the break-up. In order to work out a settlement, Lucas has employed the same high-profile law firm – Mishcon de Reya – that was used by Heather Mills and Diana, Princess of Wales, in their divorce cases.
The couple shared a £1.5m home in London and it is thought that McGee supported Lucas when his comedy career was taking off. Lucas’ personal fortune is thought to be between £10m and £20m. Under conventional divorce law, McGee would be entitled to half of this money but it is unclear what he is entitled to under a civil partnership arrangement.
Lucas achieved fame alongside his comedy partner, David Walliams, with the Little Britain sketch show, which was first produced for radio and later made for prime time television. Lucas and Walliams are also making an American version of Little Britain for the HBO channel.
In Little Britain, the characters range from Vicky Pollard – an unemployed teen mum, to a difficult wheelchair-bound man and an obese diva at a swanky health farm. Many of the characters have their own catchphrases, which have become very popular.
Source:
Independent