Matt Lucas has revealed that he is autistic, speaking publicly about the diagnosis for the first time as he discussed his personal experiences.
The comedian and actor made the disclosure during a conversation with Romesh Ranganathan on BBC Radio 2. Lucas, 52, said he had “never, ever spoken about this publicly” before confirming that he was autistic.
He explained that the diagnosis helped account for the contrast between his enjoyment of social settings and his need for periods of solitude.
“I enjoy periods of being very sociable, like you are in the theatre, and then I also enjoy those periods of solitude where I can just write on my own,” he said.
Lucas added that time away from people was particularly important while working in the theatre, where performances take place six days a week.
“On my day off I like not to see people and give them a break from me, but just to have that recharge time is quite important to me,” he said.
The disclosure comes as Lucas appears in the new series of Channel 4’s Taskmaster. The broadcaster announced in June that he would join Chloe Petts, Isy Suttie, Nina Conti and Richard Ayoade as one of the five contestants competing under Greg Davies and Alex Horne.
Lucas is best known for creating and starring in Little Britain alongside David Walliams, as well as for presenting The Great British Bake Off and appearing in shows including Doctor Who.
