Ricky Gervais reveals why he'll 'never' be invited to host the Oscars

The comic has presented the Golden Globes five times
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George Fenwick20 April 2020
The Weekender

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Ricky Gervais has claimed he would "never" be asked to host the Oscars as he’d “never do it on their terms”.

The comedian, who is promoting the second season of his Netflix comedy-drama After Life, told GQ Hype that he’d be tempted if he had free reign over what he could say.

“Now, if they said you can say what you want, that would really be tempting,” he said.

“And I know it would go terribly! I know the future. I know how badly it would go! And I still might do it,” he said.

Ricky Gervais on the cover of GQ Hype (Hamish Brown/GQ) 
Hamish Brown/GQ Hype

Gervais hosted the Golden Globe Awards in 2020 for the fifth - and reportedly final - time, delivering a no-holds-barred monologue that took shots at Hollywood over the college admissions scandal, Jeffrey Epstein and Leonardo DiCaprio’s younger girlfriends.

His monologue prompted a mixture of laughter and uncomfortable grimaces from the A-list crowd.

Gervais told GQ Hype that he still clears his speeches with lawyers, explaining: “I’ve dropped a joke because I’ve based it off a falsehood that I’ve heard.”

Ricky Gervais - In pictures

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Gervais also said that he definitely meant it when he said this year’s hosting gig would be his last.

“Yeah, I have said that before and I sort of meant it this time," he said. "And I’ve said no the last two times and they persuaded me, but I’m really glad I did it this time because I think it was my favourite one. I think the reaction was the best. The whole thing hit a nerve.”

He continued: “I honestly don’t know any more. I don’t think I should do it again. Because I don’t think I could do a better job or get a better reaction.”

Read the full feature online at GQ Hype.

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