Ricky Gervais Denies ‘Snubbing’ BBC’s The Office Anniversary Special

Ricky Gervais has dismissed the suggestion that his absence from a recent TV special celebrating The Office was an intentional snub of the BBC.

Last month, Martin Freeman and Mackenzie Crook took part in a one-off BBC special reflecting on their time on The Office to commemorate 25 years since the hit sitcom’s debut.

Weeks earlier, Ricky had told The Independent that he’d been invited to take part in the special, but turned it down as he was “not available” at the time, instead filming a video about his own memories for his personal YouTube channel.

The Sun reported at the time that this was a “huge blow” to the BBC and indicated a “lack of allegiance towards the Beeb” on his part.

However, in a new interview with Saga magazine, Ricky claimed it was “nonsense” that he’d chosen not to be involved in the special.

“I couldn’t be prouder of The Office,” he insisted (as reported by Metro). “It wasn’t a snub to the BBC.”

Ricky added: “’I was already doing my own thing for my YouTube channel and doing theirs would have watered mine down.”

Over the last few years, Ricky has become known for his collaborations with Netflix, including the award-winning sitcom After Life and numerous stand-up comedy specials.

His latest offering for the streaming giant has ultimately become one of the most polarising of his entire career, after creating, writing, directing and starring in Alley Cats, an animated series about feline friends living on the streets of London.

Mackenzie Crook And Martin Freeman Remember… The Office is now streaming on BBC iPlayer, while Alley Cats is available to watch on Netflix.