Paper apologies for 'false allegations'

David Walliams and Matt Lucas have won a libel battle over claims that Little Britain USA had angered gay Americans.

The duo won today a public apology and undisclosed libel damages at London's High Court from the Daily Star Sunday over an article headed: Little Britain USA Exposed: Gay fatty jokes put Yanks on the warpath

Two gay protest groups were mentioned in the article – the West Hollywood Gay and Lesbian Alliance and New York Gay Pride – describing the programme as ‘grossly insulting’ and calling for US broadcaster HBO to cancel the series.

At the time of the claims in September, Chortle reported that there were question marks over the existence of the groups, as there seemed to be no record of them.

The supposed spokesman from the California group, Irwin Blair, was quoted as saying: ‘This is the most politically incorrect, offensive and obnoxious material ever seen in this country.’

In court, Rod Christie-Miller, solicitor for Walliams and Lucas, said that the allegations had caused ‘considerable distress’ to them both and caused significant damage to their reputations, especially given that they had a large gay fan base.

Daily Star Sunday, which is published by Express Newspapers, will now pay damages and costs, and publish an apology.

The newspaper’s lawyer Ian Helme offered ‘sincere apologies for the publication of these false allegations’.

Published: 19 Dec 2008