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Ricky Gervais has denied reports that he snubbed the BBC’s documentary marking the 25th anniversary of The Office.
The After Life and Derek star has been at the centre of controversy in recent weeks after he appeared to erase his Office co-creator Stephen Merchant, during his own anniversary video.
This came before his new animated Netflix series Alley Cats soared to number one in the streaming charts, despite fans labelling it as ‘exhaustingly bad’ and Metro’s brutal one-star review.
However, despite TV insiders labelling the star’s absence as a ‘huge blow’ to the BBC, Ricky has now set the record straight.
Speaking to Saga Magazine, the 65-year-old was asked whether he chose not to take part.
‘That’s nonsense,’ he said. ‘I couldn’t be prouder of The Office. It wasn’t a snub to the BBC.
‘I was already doing my own thing [to mark the anniversary] for my YouTube channel and doing theirs would have watered mine down.’
The BBC announced that Martin Freeman and Mackenzie Crook would reunite for a one-off tribute to the iconic sitcom’s quarter-century milestone.
The comedy series catapulted onto our screens 25 years ago in July, and launched the careers of several cast members.
However, noticeably absent from the BBC’s special episode of its retrospective series Remembers, which celebrates popular and influential TV shows in the rearview mirror, was either of the show’s creators, Stephen Merchant or Ricky, who starred as David Brent.
A source previously told The Sun: ‘The BBC making a documentary about The Office without getting Ricky on board 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.’
Gervais’s representatives told Metro that there is no rift between the comedian and the BBC.
He ‘was not available’ to take part in the special, but he remains in contact with the Beeb ‘all the time about The Office’.
