Ricky Gervais 'snubs new BBC documentary'
Ricky Gervais has declined the chance to star in a new BBC documentary.
Ricky Gervais has reportedly snubbed a chance to star in a new BBC documentary about The Office.
The 65-year-old actor enjoyed his big career breakthrough with The Office, the TV sitcom series that ran from 2001 until 2003 - but he's declined the opportunity to star in the new documentary marking the show's 25th anniversary.
A TV insider told The Sun newspaper: "The BBC making a documentary about The Office without getting Ricky onboard is a huge blow as it spoils their celebration somewhat.
"It just sums up his lack of allegiance towards the Beeb which has been drifting for some time now."
Ricky enjoyed success on the BBC with shows such as The Office, Extras, and Life's Too Short in the early part of his career, but he's switched his allegiance to Netflix in recent years.
A rep for the actor insisted he "wasn’t available" to star in the new documentary. He is, however, making a documentary of his own that will ultimately air on YouTube.
Ricky co-created, co-wrote, and acted in the British version of The Office.
The sitcom proved to be a huge success - but Ricky doubts that the show would even be made in 2026.
The comedian told Times Radio: "Now it would suffer because people would take things literally.
"There are these outrage mobs who take things out of context.
"This was a show about everything - it was about difference, it was about sex, race, all the things that people fear to even be discussed or talked about now, in case they say the wrong thing and they are cancelled."
Ricky believes people need to understand the real subject and target of the jokes.
He explained: "The BBC have got more and more careful, people want to keep their jobs, so would worry about some of the subjects and jokes, even though they were clearly ironic and we were laughing at this buffoon being uncomfortable around difference.
"I think if this was put out now, some people have lost their sense of irony and context."
