Entertainment

Matt Lucas and David Walliams impersonate global stars in Red Nose Day sketch

The comedy duo brought back their sketch show Rock Profile for the charity show broadcast.
The comedy duo brought back their sketch show Rock Profile for the charity show broadcast. The comedy duo brought back their sketch show Rock Profile for the charity show broadcast.

Matt Lucas and David Walliams dressed up dramatically as they impersonated global stars including Adele, Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga in a Red Nose Day sketch.

The Little Britain stars brought back their comedy sketch show Rock Profile for a one-off special during the charity broadcast.

In the sketch, presenter Vernon Kay interviewed some familiar faces, played by Lucas and Walliams.

The original show, which was written by and starred Lucas, 48, and Walliams, 50, first aired in 1999 on UK Play before moving to BBC Two in 2002.

The comedy consisted of a series of spoof interviews where presenter Jamie Theakston – playing himself – interviewed Lucas and Walliams as they played caricatures of well-known musicians.

For the Red Nose Day sketch, the “stars” were this time being interviewed by Kay as they came together to record a Comic Relief single, a version of Whitney Houston’s The Greatest Love Of All.

Lucas opened the sketch dressed in a black floor-length gown and wig as he impersonated chart-topping singer Adele.

As the comic put on a high pitched accent, the character said they wanted to be on the charity single as they had “always loved the song” and used to listen to it in the shower.

Walliams donned a voluminous white wig, face mask and cream dress as he took on the role of pop star Lady Gaga.

Entering the room, the character says: “It is I Gaga entering the studio, please don’t treat me any differently as you would any other Oscar-nominated superstar.”

The singer added that they were very excited to be on the track but emphasised they knew the charity single was not about them and they had only flown over a “core team” of 80 people for the event.

Walliams as Gaga said: “Today is not about Gaga or any of the legendary superstars on this record, whose names I can’t remember.

“No, of course, Lady Gaga’s The Greatest Love Of All featuring Lady Gaga is not about Lady Gaga.”

Lucas also bared all as he came out scantily clad in a silver harness-style outfit impersonating Miley Cyrus, adding: “If you’ve got it, flaunt it.”

Walliams later interrupts the interview dressed as the singer’s father, Billy Ray Cyrus, saying: “Wherever my daughter goes, I go too,” and spontaneously breaking into his hit track Achy Breaky Heart.

Also among the characters were Michael Ball and Alfie Boe, Lucas as a tattooed Post Malone and joyous Lewis Capaldi and Walliams as a moody Billie Eilish.

As Kay tries to get Eilish’s attention during the interview, they reply that they were busy on TikTok, Mumsnet and the Daily Telegraph app posting about Michael Gove.

The sketch closed with Lucas and Walliams reprising all the stars for the final recording of The Greatest Love Of All.

However, Kay informed viewers at the end that Comic Relief decided not to release the single as it was “shit”.

The Red Nose Day celebration will continue with The Great Comic Relief Prizeathon, which will be aired after the BBC News At Ten.