What is Little Britain? All to know about the controversial show expecting a potential revival after going viral on TikTok  

Little Britain is a British sketch comedy series created by Matt Lucas and David Walliams that aired on the BBC from 2003 to 2006. Known for its exaggerated characters and catchphrases like “computer says no,” the show gained popularity for its boundary-pushing humor but faced widespread criticism for its use of racial stereotypes, class-based mockery, and offensive portrayals of disabled individuals.

In 2020, amid the Black Lives Matter movement, the BBC removed Little Britain from streaming platforms, citing outdated content. However, in 2025, the show resurged on TikTok, with clips amassing millions of views and sparking rumors of a revival. The series, which once drew nearly 10 million viewers per episode, was initially celebrated for its “bawdy” style and satirical take on British culture.

However, its reliance on blackface, caricatures of marginalized groups, and jokes deemed “punching down” led to its removal from platforms like Netflix and BBC iPlayer. Creators Lucas and Walliams issued apologies in 2020, expressing regret for playing “other races” and acknowledging the harm caused.

Despite this, Little Britain has found an unlikely new audience among Gen-Z, who discover the show through viral TikTok clips often stripped of context. TikTok’s #littlebritain hashtag has over 61,000 posts. It has short sketches, such as a weight-loss group leader mocking a South Asian woman’s accent, garnering thousands of likes.

Younger viewers, many of whom haven’t watched full episodes, praise the show’s “risqué” humor as a rebellion against modern political correctness. Meanwhile, Lucas and Walliams have hinted at a potential stage revival during a March 2025 interview on the TV show Lorraine.

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Why Little Britain is trending again and what it means

The resurgence of Little Britain hinges on TikTok’s bite-sized content format, where users share clips devoid of the show’s most controversial moments. For example, sketches featuring wheelchair user Andy and his caretaker Lou or the chaotic teen Vicky Pollard dominate feeds, while overtly racist scenes like David Walliams’ portrayal of a professor mocking Asian students are less visible.

This selective consumption allows younger audiences to frame the show as “edgy” rather than offensive. Lucas and Walliams have leaned into the revival, reposting “classic clips” on their BBC-managed YouTube channel and joking about their past cancellation. During their Lorraine appearance, Walliams noted his 11-year-old son’s peers quote the show, attributing its comeback to TikTok’s “one-minute clip” culture.

The BBC re-added edited episodes to iPlayer in 2022, removing blackface scenes but retaining characters like Bubbles DeVere (played by Lucas in a fatsuit) and Vicky Pollard. Critics argue the creators’ renewed enthusiasm undermines their 2020 apologies.

Chloe Combi, the author of Generation Z: Their Voices, Their Lives, suggests the revival reflects a broader cultural shift, with younger audiences rejecting “wokeness” and romanticizing early-2000s aesthetics. Yet, the show’s legacy remains contentious.

While Little Britain’s return to mainstream conversation highlights nostalgia’s power, its future remains uncertain. For now, the show’s TikTok fame underscores how digital platforms can repurpose contentious content for new generations, blurring the line between retro appeal and cultural accountability.