Who is Vicky Pollard? All about the Little Britain character Millie Bobby Brown has been compared to

Feud culture has run rampant on social media, with users across all platforms ready to turn any perceived criticism into a debate decided by public opinion. The latest example of this in the entertainment industry involves Millie Bobby Brown of Stranger Things and fellow Brit Matt Lucas.

Last month, Matt Lucas posted a picture on X of Millie wearing a pink jacket with her hair tied in a ponytail. The caption referenced a character named Vicky Pollard from Little Britain and was delivered in her signature tone: “No but yeah but”

On March 3, Brown took to Instagram to address Lucas directly before discussing other headlines about her appearance.

“‘Little Britain’s Matt Lucas takes savage swipe at Millie Bobby Brown’s new ‘mommy makeover’ look’—written by Bethan Edwards, amplifying an insult rather than questioning why a grown man is mocking a young woman’s appearance. This isn’t journalism. This is bullying”.

Lucas eventually took to Instagram for his response.

Let's examine Vicky Pollard more closely to better understand the context of the remarks from both camps before arriving at a fair conclusion.

---

Who Is Vicky Pollard?

Little Britain is a sketch comedy series that debuted on British radio in 2000. It was co-written by David Walliams and Matt Lucas, the show's leading performers, and ultimately aired as a television series from 2003 to 2006, financed by the BBC. Its initial iteration aired on BBC Radio 4, followed by two television series that premiered on BBC Three and BBC One, respectively. One of the most renowned recurring characters from the show was Lucas’ Vicky Pollard.

Lucas described Vicky as a parody of “chavs” from the West Country which refers to a loosely defined area within southwest England. Lucas got the inspiration for the character while studying at the University of Bristol. Pollard’s attitude is sometimes very problematic as she speaks in a fast-paced and disorienting manner, while keeping facts at an arm’s length of her discourse.

While Lucas seemingly began the on-going back and forth unprovoked, and in jest, it is obvious that any comparison to Little Britain’s Vicky Pollard can be interpreted as unflattering given her attitude and personality (not to mention the fact that she's played by the actor in question). Lucas described the character as a spoof of people he had previously encountered, making the comparison somewhat pejorative even in the best-case scenario.

Unrealistic body and beauty standards have weighed on female artists for decades, and this situation only adds fuel to the fire, regardless of how innocent Lucas intended to come across. It will be interesting to see how things develop for the two moving forward.