Little Britain star Matt Lucas and his partner have split up, just 18 months after getting “married” in a civil partnership ceremony.

The comedian and his long-term boyfriend Kevin McGee have begun proceedings to “dissolve” their civil partnership, which they celebrated in December 2006 with a flamboyant pantomime-themed reception.

They will be one of the first high profile couples to end their civil partnership, since new laws enabling same-sex unions came into force in December 2005.

As in traditional divorce law, a court will decide how the wealth they have accrued together will be split, taking into account any pre-civil partnership financial agreements.

Lucas, who made his name with a string of Little Britain catchphrases including “the only gay in the village”, signed £3m deal with the BBC, with comedy partner David Walliams, the same year he tied the knot with Mr McGee.

Lucas, 34, and Mr McGee, 31, a television producer, had been together for three years, before registering their civil partnership. The pair share a £1.5 million home in north west London.

A joint statement issued today by their legal representatives Mishcon de Reya and Withers LLP said: “It is with sadness that Matt and Kevin announce that their relationship has come to an end.

“Their separation is amicable.”

The equivalent of divorce for civil partnerships is a "dissolution order”. The rules are broadly the same as those for divorce and the courts have the right to order that one partner pay maintenance to the other, pass over personal property or a home to the other party and divide future pension entitlements.

Before their lavish celebrity-studded reception, in which Lucas, dressed up as Ali Baba and McGee as Prince Charming, the Little Britain star said: “We’re going to have a civil partnership, or marriage, or whatever you like to call it.

“We are very much in love, but also it’s important that gay couples have the same rights as straight couples.”

Their service took place at Home House, a private members’ club in London, and both wore suits.

But the reception, at Banqueting House in Whitehall, was one of the biggest showbusiness events of the year, with guests including Sir Elton John as Captain Hook, Courtney Love as the Queen of Hearts, and actress Barbara Windsor as the Fairy Godmother.

From December 2005 to December 2006, a total of 18,059 civil partnerships were registered across the UK. Official statistics showing the number of dissolutions so far have yet to be released.

David Allison, partner at specialist firm, Family Law In Partnership, said: “Of course, on one hand this is new territory, but in terms of financial decisions and the whole court procedure, the Civil Partnership Act is broadly the same as existing divorce law.

“What will be interesting is to see whether there is a similar divorce rate in civil partnerships."

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