Joe Harry Lycett was born on 5 July 1988 at Solihull Hospital, Birmingham, to David Lycett and Helen Lycett (née Scholey). He grew up in Hall Green and Solihull, and studied Drama and English at the University of Manchester after attending King Edward VI Five Ways School in Birmingham.

He began performing stand-up comedy in 2009, quickly picking up awards including the Chortle Student Comedian of the Year. His 2012 Edinburgh debut show, Some Lycett Hot, was nominated for Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, and he became a familiar face on British TV panel shows.

On 12 February 2019, Lycett took over as presenter of The Great British Sewing Bee on BBC Two, hosting the show through to 2021, when Sara Pascoe succeeded him. He also created and hosted Channel 4’s consumer show Joe Lycett’s Got Your Back, and presented the documentary Joe Lycett vs the Oil Giant in 2021.

Lycett is openly pansexual and has been a vocal LGBTQ+ advocate throughout his career. In October 2024, he announced he had become a father to a baby boy with his partner.