Matt Lucas says he has been busy ticking off his bucket list by writing a musical after stepping back from hosting The Great British Bake Off.
The comedian, 48, stunned fans when he announced in December that he was quitting the popular Channel 4 show, which he had co-hosted with Noel Fielding since 2020.
Now, he says that doing so has allowed him to work on a project close to his heart
Speaking on The Deeney Talks podcast, he said: “I’ve written a short novel and I’m adapting it into a musical. That’s the only thing I’ve dreamed of doing that I haven’t done yet.
“That’s not something anyone can give me, [role-wise], it’s something I had to decide to do myself.”
Acknowledging that he is in a privileged position where he can take time out to concentrate on doing the things he loves, he continued: “I’m lucky enough to be able to afford to not audition [for a show he didn’t have time to do] or to not do anymore Bake Off because I don’t do that anymore to take time to write my bucket list project.”
Elsewhere, Lucas recently shared that he has been writing again with his old writing partner David Walliams.
He and the ex Britain’s Got Talent judge, 51, became household names in the early noughties after writing and starring together in hit sketchshow Little Britain.
Speaking on The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 at the end of January, Lucas said: “We just thought it was time so we quit our jobs and decided to do that. I mean I still do Fantasy Football League, obviously.
“We just started last week. We got together and we started brainstorming.
“We’ve got an idea for a new show and we need a few more brainstorming sessions but we know what we want the show to be, what the concept of it is,” he continued.
“We’re really excited about it. It will be a show with us playing lots of characters.
“But we have to write the treatment for it and we have to go and pitch it and see if anyone wants to make it. But if someone wants to make it, we’ll be thrilled to do it.”
