Entertainment
Great British Bake Off host Matt Lucas gains German citizenship
Matt’s grandmother was German (Picture: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Matt Lucas may be best known for Little Britain and The Great British Bake Off – but he is now also a German citizen.
The comedian and actor was offered citizenship through his grandmother, who fled Berlin in 1938.
The 47-year-old has previously told how members of his family fled Germany prior to the Second World War amid persecution from the Nazis over their Jewish heritage.
Matt was then born in London in 1974 to his parents Diana and John.
He told one follower on Twitter the naturalisation process had taken about six months.
Sharing a photo of a pin badge featuring both the British and German flags, Matt quipped that he had been given gummy bears by the German embassy.
He said: ‘My grandma fled Berlin in 1938. Having been offered citizenship, I have just been to the German Embassy in London to collect my Certificate of Naturalisation.
‘I am officially Anglo-German. They gave me some Gummibarchen and this lovely badge. Now to choose a German football team.’
FC Union Berlin was the first team to contact Matt, commenting ‘Willkommen’ – ‘welcome’ – and sharing a handshake emoji.
Matt, an Arsenal fan, replied: ‘I have been claimed by Union Berlin, it seems. My new German team, then!’
Well, that was quick.
More: The Great British Bake Off
Matt and his Bake Off co-host Noel Fielding recently dressed up as German band Kraftwerk for the introduction to a German-themed week on the show.
At the time, Matt defended his accent on the episode to critics, tweeting: ‘I am Anglo-German. I am a citizen of both countries, with passports for each, so I’ll do a ropey German accent any time I like. Mind you, I’ll probably also do a French accent and an Italian one, if I fancy. Cause, acting, innit.’
He also sang The Flintstones theme entirely in German for Bake Off frontrunner Jürgen Krauss, who hails from the Black Forest – although the German native seemed rather baffled by the rendition.
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