Ricky Gervais has said he is unfazed by criticism of his comedy, insisting that if people are offended by his jokes, it only makes them "funnier" to him.
The comedian and creator of The Office addressed the backlash he has faced over the years, particularly around his stand-up material, saying he has no problem with people taking offence but does not feel responsible for their reactions.
Ricky Gervais and partner Jane Fallon. Ron Adar, Shutterstock
"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."
Gervais added that it is 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."
Ricky Gervais. Tinseltown, Shutterstock
The comedian also reflected on how attitudes have 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.'"
He said he had spent too much time discussing cancel culture and free speech during recent tours and now prefers to ignore the criticism.
"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 at the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards, 2009. S Buckley, Shutterstock
Gervais has frequently defended free speech, describing it as "the most important human right there is."
His 2022 Netflix stand-up special SuperNature sparked widespread debate over jokes about transgender people.
LGBTQ advocacy organisation GLAAD criticised the show at the time, describing parts of it as "dangerous" and accusing it of containing anti-trans rhetoric.
During the special, Gervais said that many of his jokes were intended to satirise attitudes rather than reflect his own views.
He also stated: "In real life, of course, I support trans rights. I support all human rights, and trans rights are human rights."
Outside of stand-up, Gervais is also well known for his five appearances as host of the Golden Globe Awards, where he earned a reputation for delivering brutal jokes aimed at some of Hollywood's biggest stars.
His 2020 opening monologue became one of the ceremony's most talked-about moments after he told the celebrity audience to accept their awards, thank their agents and then "f*** off."
