Ricky Gervais has revealed there is only one thing that could convince him to marry his long-term partner Jane Fallon – and it has nothing to do with romance.
The comedian, who has been with the Sunday Times best-selling author for 44 years, admitted he could eventually tie the knot with Jane to avoid inheritance tax.
Ricky, who is estimated to be worth around £141 million, discussed the possibility of marriage in an interview with Saga Magazine.
When asked if tax would be the reason behind a potential wedding, the 64-year-old agreed.
“It is [the reason]. And that will be the reason I marry. We haven’t done it yet. But if it wasn’t for [tax]… why?”
Ricky Gervais and partner Jane Fallon. Photo credit: Ron Adar, Shutterstock
Ricky and Jane, who has an estimated net worth of £1.3 million, have been together for more than four decades but have never felt the need to officially get married.
The comedian questioned what difference a marriage certificate would actually make to their relationship, given how long they have shared their lives together.
“It’s mad. How more married can you be? We share all our money, we’ve been living together for 40 years. Some marriages don’t last a year.”
However, Ricky admitted that they may need to make things official sooner rather than later.
“It’s horrible isn’t it? ‘I’ve got to get around to marrying, before I die.’”
Ricky and Jane have been together since 1982 and have previously spoken about their decision not to marry or have children.
Ricky Gervais at the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards, 2009. S Buckley, Shutterstock
The comments come as Ricky continues to make headlines for his outspoken views on comedy, offence and free speech.
The creator of The Office has said he is unfazed by criticism of his comedy, arguing that if people are offended by his jokes, it can actually make them funnier to him.
“I don't tell people not to be offended, I tell them I don't care if they are. Be offended if you want, it makes it funnier for me,” he said.
“You can't help by what you're offended by but don't expect me to care. It's a myth that I go out to offend, I never go out to offend. I just know that it's probably going to happen because everyone's different.”
Ricky Gervais. Photo credit: Kathy Hutchins, Shutterstock
Ricky has also argued that it is almost impossible to say anything interesting or controversial without upsetting someone.
“There’s nothing you can say, particularly anything that’s mildly interesting or contentious or your viewpoint, that someone somewhere won’t find offensive.”
He reflected on how his attitude towards criticism has changed over the years.
“Twenty years ago, if someone said I was offended by that, I probably would go, ‘Why?’ Now I go, ‘I know you are. Everyone is.’”
The comedian has previously said that he has grown tired of discussing cancel culture and free speech during his stand-up tours, preferring instead to focus on his audience.
“Those people there who've paid hundreds of pounds—they're not offended. I can play to a million people, not one complaint. As soon as it goes on Netflix, 50 million people. Of course, there's going to be someone who doesn't like it. What am I going to do? It's too late. I've been paid.”
Ricky Gervais. Photo credit: Tinseltown, Shutterstock
Gervais has frequently defended free speech, once describing it as “the most important human right there is”.
His 2022 Netflix special SuperNature sparked widespread debate over jokes about transgender people, with LGBTQ advocacy organisation GLAAD criticising parts of the show as “dangerous” and accusing it of containing anti-trans rhetoric.
Gervais has previously said that some of his jokes are intended to satirise attitudes rather than represent his own views.
During SuperNature, he also said: “In real life, of course, I support trans rights. I support all human rights, and trans rights are human rights.”
Away from stand-up, Ricky is also well known for his five appearances as host of the Golden Globe Awards, where he became known for his particularly brutal jokes aimed at Hollywood's biggest stars.
His 2020 opening monologue became one of the ceremony's most talked-about moments, with the comedian telling celebrities to accept their awards, thank their agents and then “f*** off”.
