Ricky Gervais rules out David Brent representing the UK at Eurovision

24 October 2024

Ricky Gervais has dismissed the idea of David Brent representing the UK at the ‘Eurovision Song Contest’.

Ricky Gervais has dismissed the idea of David Brent representing the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest

While the 63-year-old comedian - who played the hapless manager on the BBC’s beloved mockumentary series ‘The Office’ - admitted he “likes the idea” of performing on the competition as David, Ricky insisted the character would underwhelm on the show because the deluded boss isn’t as “mad” as some of the real-life contestants.

In a post to X, the ‘After Life’ star wrote: “I’m not sure about him entering the real thing. I don’t think you could do it ironically because it’s all mad, camp, and kitsch.

“I don’t think David Brent would be madder than the average [contestant].”

Ricky admitted the only way David could possibly appear on a singing show was if he created his own TV contest, but the actor admitted doing this would be “too much work” for him.

‘The Office’ - which was created, written and directed by Ricky - ran for two series from 2001 to 2002, and quickly became one of the nation’s favourite comedies.

However, the actor thinks the programme couldn’t be created today due to the existence of “outrage mobs”, who would find the jokes offensive.

Speaking to Times Radio, Ricky said: “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.”

The actor - who played David again in the 2003 Christmas specials - 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.”