Comedian Joe Lycett’s painting of lounging Gary Lineker in LA hangs in the Royal Academy

The comedian and all round japester Joe Lycett is making waves in the art world with his eye-catching paintings and sculptures including a rather fetching work on show in the Royal Academy’s famed Summer Exhibition (until 20 August). “Delighted that my piece I drink a crisp, cold beer in a pool in Los Angeles while [football commentator] Gary Lineker looks on in disgust has been selected… it’s my first painting to make it and only the second time I’ve been included (the first time was my infamous sculpture Chris),” he writes on Instagram. In 2018 Lycett submitted a bust called Chris, which he made out of clay and a Pringles can while drunk one night; the work was valued at £12.5m (by Lycett of course). Lycett is hoping the Lineker work also hits the spot. “I can’t wait to see it and for some sour old arts journo to describe it as a ‘waste of paper and paint’,” he adds (thumbs up Joe from this sour old journo).