Matt Lucas: 'I was nervous appearing as myself'

Little Britain's Matt Lucas goes solo to host his own alternative awards show...

Matt Lucas recruits mum for new panel show

Funnyman Matt Lucas is best known for creating and writing Little Britain with David Walliams, but now he's teaming up with his mother Diana for his latest project, The Matt Lucas Awards.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about this show is that the unbroadcast pilot has been made available online.

The Matt Lucas Awards is a TV version of the BBC Radio 2 show And the Winner Is... in which the Little Britain star presents the Lucas Awards to unusual categories, the nominations being decided by three celebrity guests. The BBC decided that the pilot was so good that they've commissioned a full series and have released the pilot on their comedy website.

The first episode featured Dave Gorman, Ruby Wax and Jack Whitehall as guests suggesting nominations for the Lucas Awards for "Most Incomprehensible British Accent", "The Guest with The Most Useless Talent" and "Worst Song by an Otherwise Reputable Artist". Out of the guests, for me it was Wax who was funniest, especially with her ability to memories 400 different camp songs, and her attempt to call Blue's Anthony Costa on Whitehall's mobile phone.

I also enjoyed what Lucas and his house band, David Arnold and The Available Session Musicians, referred to as the "excruciating theme tune", which for me wasn't excruciating at all, but rather jolly.

Overall, it's clear to see why the BBC felt comfortable putting this pilot out - whether or not they will put the pilot on the TV before the series goes out is another matter.

The Matt Lucas Awards: The Pilot

Now this is something we hope you're going to like. Matt Lucas has got a new series for BBC One. A few weeks ago they made the pilot at TV Centre.