Ricky Gervais is not changing his act.
The British comedian, whose stand-up specials have repeatedly sparked debate over jokes about politics, gender identity, religion, and celebrities, pushed back against criticism of his material during a recent appearance on BBC Radio 2. He said he has no interest in adjusting his comedy to avoid offending people, and argued that the backlash itself adds something to the joke.
"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," Gervais said during the interview, as reported by Fox News.
The 65-year-old comic rejected the idea that he deliberately sets out to provoke his audiences. "It's a myth that I go out to offend. I never go out to offend," he said. "I just know that it's probably going to happen because everyone's different."
He also argued that almost any opinion, if stated plainly, will offend 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 said.
Gervais noted that public sensitivity to comedy has increased over the past two decades. "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 drew a distinction between the audiences who fill seats at his live shows and the much larger audiences who later watch his specials on streaming platforms. The complaints, he said, rarely come from the people in the room. "I can play to a million people, not one complaint," he said. The criticism arrives after a special goes online. "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."
Gervais also suggested he is ready to stop addressing cancel culture directly in his material, even though it has been a recurring theme in his recent tours. "I've dealt with it too much, actually. I think the last couple of tours, I have dealt with cancel culture and free speech because I felt I had to. Now, I don't have to," he said. "I'm ignoring it all. I shouldn't even bring it into the room. Those people there who've paid hundreds of pounds — they're not offended."
Earlier this year, Gervais drew renewed attention when he reposted a line from his 2020 Golden Globes monologue, taking another swipe at celebrities who use awards shows as political platforms.
His next stand-up project has not been announced publicly.
