Matt Lucas' Pantomime Wedding

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MATT LUCAS 'WEDDING' TO HAVE PANTO THEME
Eva Simpson & Caroline Hedley

WE know how much Little Britain's Matt Lucas likes dressing up... but his wedding day will make even their most outrageous characters like Emily and Florence look positively dowdy. The comic genius and his boyfriend Kevin McGee are planning a Christmas panto-style extravaganza for their civil partnership ceremony this December. They plan to walk down the aisle in fancy dress in a sumptuous, no-expense spared ceremony celebrating the "best of British pantomime".

Oh no, they're not? Oh yes, they are! Although the final costumes have yet to be decided they are said to be looking at a number of different outfits - including Captain Hook, Mother Goose and Aladdin. And they won't be alone in dressing up for the big day. Guests - including Little Britain's David Walliams, Sir Elton John, Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant, actor Anthony Head and comic Vic Reeves - are also expected to make the effort.

A source told us: "It's a Christmas wedding and Matt and Kevin thought it would be hysterical to have a Christmas panto theme and have everyone dress up. They were determined that their special day wouldn't be a stuffy, formal day, but wanted to have a laugh with all their guests."

Two swanky London venues have provisionally been booked for the do - Banqueting House in Whitehall and the Institute of Directors, Pall Mall. Matt's beloved mum Diana has already been to see the former, an opulent palace in Central London which once staged plays for Charles I. Whether the rather grand setting - complete with a ceiling painted by Rubens - has seen anything resembling a Little Britain panto, however, is unlikely. Our source added: "Despite the amazing settings, they are planning to transform the interiors to resemble the inside of a theatre and are even considering putting up stage props. We will have to wait and see whether Matt and David will get into the Christmas spirit and put on a show for the guests."

Although the exact date hasn't been confirmed, the bash is expected to be held in mid-December at the end of Matt and David's brilliant Little Britain Live tour. It's understood that the pair have not set up a wedding list and are leaving presents at their guests' discretion - and imagination.

Matt, 32, met Kevin at a nightclub four years ago and the pair have kept their relationship low-key ever since. In his book Inside Little Britain, Matt describes how his mother was "shocked and surprised" when he admitted he was gay. "I may not be able to give her babies, but I can give her Baftas," he said.

Last year Matt and Kevin, a TV producer, swapped matching silver rings. The pair have recently set up home together in a ?1million lovenest in London's St John's Wood. A spokesperson for Matt Lucas said: "It's all a bit premature. They haven't picked a definite date, venue or theme yet."

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good luck to them - though the last line from a spokesperson saying that no theme has been picked yet says it all!