Joe Lycett really has had a baby boy with his secret girlfriend – despite widespread fan speculation that his claims of fatherhood are an elaborate prank, MailOnline can reveal.
The comic announced the arrival of a baby to his 1.4 million Instagram followers last month alongside a snap of him holding the newborn wrapped up inside his coat.
Many fans immediately said that they suspected the comic famous for his pranks was joking about the baby, prompting Joe to insist in his newsletter last week that it was not a stunt – but added that he could understand the scepticism because of his history of making things up for publicity.
Now a family source has confirmed to MailOnline that the baby is real – and revealed that the whole family are delighted with the new arrival.
‘This is absolutely not a prank, Joe has made that clear and he’s right,’ said the relative.
Comedy star Joe Lycett is seen near his West Midlands home with a woman – believed to be his girlfriend carrying a baby. His family confirmed this week their happiness over the new arrival
The comic announced the arrival of a baby to his 1.4 million Instagram followers last month alongside a snap of him holding the newborn wrapped up inside his coat
‘The family are delighted for him, and his parents are loving being grandparents.
‘You can understand why so many people still believe it’s one of his wind ups, but I can assure you it’s not.’
The comic has been spending intimate time with his new family, enjoying his son’s first few weeks while cutting back work commitments, from a secret address in the Midlands.
Joe, 36, was recently seen with a woman carrying a newborn baby into the house in the Midlands.
In these exclusive pictures the comedian can be seen attentively guiding the woman, who was protectively holding the tot, out of their vehicle before accompanying them both inside the house.
One of the main reasons fans have been suspicious that the baby is a hoax – on top of Joe’s fame for pranks – is that he has fiercely guarded the identity of the baby’s mother, explaining that the nature of her job means ‘she can’t be in the public eye.’
And in deference to Joe’s wish for privacy MailOnline has chosen not to identify the woman holding the baby here or reveal details of where he is enjoying his paternity break.
The announcement of a baby came just months after Joe had shocked fans by announcing that he has a woman in his life in April.
This came during his Channel 4 chat show – when he first declined to reveal her name.
Opening the show, he said: ‘A lot has changed since the last series, I’ve got some news which is that I have a girlfriend.
‘I’ve talked about being bisexual for years but people presume I’m homosexual based on my entire personality…yes I’ve got a girlfriend and people have been very nice about it.’
He has previously said he refers to her as ‘Denise,’ as a joke which he says is not her real name but an in-joke between them.
Joe is well known in the fashionable area of the city where he lives with locals telling MailOnline that they had seen him out and about with his baby and even met the tot.
One said: ‘He’s a lovely baby boy and we are all delighted for Joe and his partner. He takes the baby out for walks and even goes with him to his favourite local café. The baby absolutely exists, 100%.’
A woman who runs a local shop said: ‘I have seen the baby and he’s really cute. I understand why people don’t believe Joe because he’s known for his pranks, and we all love him for that.
‘But I see Joe and the baby around quite a lot and this is not one of his famous pranks.’
The camp TV host has described himself as being ‘pansexual’ which means that he is attracted to a person, no matter their gender.
The comedian was seen attentively guiding the woman, who was protectively holding the tot, out of their vehicle. Lycett said in April that his girlfriend has a job that means she has to be out of the public eye. MailOnline respected his wishes to conceal her identity
In an Instagram post, Lycett thanked staff at Birmingham maternity hospital and bizarrely mentioned Autotrader magazine
One of the main reasons fans have been suspicious that the baby is a hoax – on top of Joe’s fame for pranks – is that he has fiercely guarded the identity of the baby’s mother
One local said: ‘We don’t know much about Joe’s partner but judging by her accent, she’s from Birmingham. They’re seen together quite a lot, but we haven’t spoken to her that much, so it’s all quite mysterious as to who she is and how they met.’
The Late Night With Lycett host has acquired a fearsome reputation for pulling outrageous stunts.
Earlier this year he disclosed on his Channel 4 show that he had successfully planted a number of fake stories in the British media.
These included: a five-a-side footballer from Birmingham having a bruise on his thigh that resembled Prince Harry’s face; research showing men from Birmingham have the longest penises in the UK; a mural of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz in Birmingham that was declared to be a Banksy, and a statue of H from Steps being erected in Cowbridge.
In February 2022 he changed his name to Hugo Boss in retaliation for the clothing brand targeting small firms.
Lycett returned to his birth name in April the same year. In November the same year, Lycett shredded £10,000 on live TV to fulfil a promise he made if David Beckham did not pull out of a multi-million deal to be an ambassador for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar over the Middle East nation’s stance on LGBTQ+ rights.
He later admitted he had faked it and donated the money to charity.
Joe posted about the arrival of his baby on 25 October, declaring: ‘An appreciation post from me for the extraordinary @bham_womens hospital.
‘My first encounter with them was years ago when they looked after a pal of mine through surgery, and then most recently when they masterfully welcomed a little boy into the world, who happens to be my son.
‘The care and compassion his mum and he received was exceptional; from the antenatal classes, incredible midwives, consultants, doctors, nurses and the ongoing care in the community.
‘We also loved their baked potatoes. Birmingham is so lucky to have them and I will be forever grateful for everything they’ve done.’
Discussing his son in his newsletter, Joe thanked fans for their messages and said being a dad was a ‘total delight’
The comedian, 36, left fans stunned after he announced he’d welcomed his first child with his mystery girlfriend , with many quickly suggesting it could be a prank
He added: ‘I am LOVING being a dad but sadly I think this now means I can’t get out of going on Rob and Josh’s f**king podcast.
‘We will not be taking any press requests about this as we have already sold the rights to the first family picture to Autotrader.’
Alongside the post, Birmingham Women’s Hospital wrote: ‘Massive congratulations again to you all.
‘We’re so proud to have supported you on this incredible life changing milestone. We wish you all the best and lots of gorgeous cuddles for the future.’
But the final line in Joe’s post, in which he refers to Autotrader, got fans thinking the arrival of his baby could be another stunt with some also claiming that it was not a real baby in the picture.
One fan wrote: ‘Sitting here having had two children, wondering if this is a PR stunt, thinking “he should be holding the baby’s head, whilst also thinking he’s holding a jacket potato in a beanie…’
Another claimed: ‘Congratulations on either parenthood or the apparent magnitude of your pranking skills!’
One doubter joked: ‘I want to congratulate you, I really do, but I’m slightly worried you’ve wrapped up a jacket spud.’
Under his announcement Autotrader penned: ‘Congratulations again Joe! We can’t wait to publish the photos of Mini Cooper Lycett.,’ further fuelling speculation that this was another one of his pranks.
Addressing the doubters in his newsletter, Lycett wrote: ‘I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who has been so lovely about my news (you may have seen on Instagram or in the press that I have just welcomed a son)…. I’m finding fatherhood to be a total delight.’
‘And to confirm, he’s defo not a stunt (although I appreciate I’ve cried wolf enough that might not be convincing) and as promised I will be appearing on the _Parenting Hell podcast in the near future.’