Joe Lycett turned heads on the TV BAFTAs red carpet on Sunday afternoon, as the comedian forewent a classic tux to channel Queen Elizabeth I instead.Joe, 35, certainly stood out among the stellar attendees, walking the carpet in London's 25-degree heat in a metallic ensemble and accompanying Elizabethan ruff.
Why is Joe Lycett dressed as Queen Elizabeth I?
'I am so hot,' he confessed to BBC News. 'But it's worth it. I made a bet - I said to my aunties if they got up to 100,000 followers, I'll dress as Queen Elizabeth I. They're at 200 and something thousand now - here I am at the BAFTAs, dressed as Queen Elizabeth I.'
48 hours earlier, Joe called upon his followers for their help ahead of the TV BAFTAs. He wrote, 'My aunties are now influencers which I HATE. But they’ve managed to persuade Natalie Cassidy to work with them, and she’s made me a bet that if they get to 250k followers by the end of my show tonight she’ll come with me to the BAFTAs as my lady-in-waiting. Give them a follow over on Insta (LateNightAunties). I truly don’t care if you unfollow them tomorrow I just wanna get Nat Cass to the Baffs.'
When quizzed on how EastEnders icon Natalie fared, Joe revealed that they hadn't got close enough to the 250,000-follower target. 'She's at home having a gin and tonic in the garden,' he laughed.
Fans of the comic appreciated his sartorial choice. One wrote on X, 'Joe Lycett looks stunning at the BAFTA TV Awards as Queen Elizabeth.'
Another chimed in, 'And the best-dressed award at the BAFTAs goes to… Joe Lycett as Queen Elizabeth I.'
Joe himself poked fun at his outfit on Instagram, sharing photos of the ensemble alongside a portrait of Queen Elizabeth I. 'Who wore it best?' he quipped, prompting Sophie Ellis-Bexter to reply, 'I love this look.'
Joe's live comedy series, Late Night Lycett, has received a TV BAFTA nomination in the comedy entertainment series category. Speaking of the nod, Joe said he's 'over the moon' and 'thrilled' about it.
Late Night Lycett is up against The Graham Norton Show, Rob And Romesh Vs, and Would I Lie to You?
Millie Payne is a News and Entertainment Writer for Grazia. She has specialised in showbiz interviews, features, articles and roundups for over three years and loves combining her love for writing, talking and all things popular culture.