The return of Little Britain's David Walliams and Matt Lucas for Comic Relief hasn't gone down well with everyone, with some viewers criticising their Red Nose Day sketch as "unfunny" and "misogynistic".

Walliams and Lucas resurrected their '90s-era show Rock Profile for Comic Relief's Red Nose Day 2022 telethon on Friday (March 18), but the audience was left divided over the format's one-off revival.

After the comedy duo dressed up as caricatures of music icons for the skit – with the likes of Billie Eilish, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, and Lewis Capaldi all in the firing line – some viewers voiced their disappointment on social media.

david walliams and matt lucas, comic relief 2022
BBC

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"It's really funny, apparently, to mock clever, creative women who dare to be a bit different," one viewer argued on Twitter, while another called their impressions of Eilish "misogynistic".

"[It's] kinda crazy how the entirety of matt lucas and david walliams' comedy just punches down," another added. "Really not enjoying Walliams and Lucas doing repeated misogynistic skits on comic relief. Just unfunny. This really isn't the best British comedy can offer," another tweeted.

matt lucas and david walliams
Dave J Hogan//Getty Images

Of course, some people were on hand to defend the revamped Rock Profile, with one viewer suggesting that the original series was never supposed to be "close to reality".

"I guess people have forgotten that Rock Profile was never supposed to be about spot-on impersonations, or even anything close to reality," they wrote. "Matt Lucas and David Walliams are talented, I will die on that hill, but I guess it's a generational thing..."

Digital Spy has reached out to Comic Relief and BBC for comment.

In more positive news, at the end of Friday's charity event, it was revealed that the televised appeal had managed to raise an impressive £42,790,147 for the most vulnerable across the UK and beyond, including those in Ukraine.

If you'd like to donate to Red Nose Day, you can visit the website or text "YES" to 70210 to donate £10. Full terms and additional details are available on the website.

Lettermark
Rianne Houghton
Rianne Houghton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy.