Gervais fails to see the funny side over Microsoft training videos

An investigation is under way after two internal training videos created by comedian Ricky Gervais exclusively for computer giant Microsoft appeared on the Internet.

The videos, called Office Values, feature Gervais in the role of David Brent, the bumbling boss whose cringeworthy actions as head of Slough paper merchants Wernham Hogg form the basis of the hit BBC series The Office.

Gervais and writing partner Stephen Merchant agreed to write and appear in the videos - which were devised as a training manual for staff - on the provision that they never appeared in public.

But earlier this month, the two videos turned up on Internet sites, including YouTube.com, Google Video and several blogs.

In the videos, Brent visits Microsoft's UK offices as a management consultant to educate its staff.

In brash Brent style, he warns computer "boffins" of the dangers of hard work "as too much thinking makes Jack a mental case".

He suggests he would make an excellent managing director of Microsoft UK as long as he was given £40,000 a year and a new Mondeo.

When asked what advice he would give to employees looking to develop their careers, he replies: "Training. Residential ones are the best, because not only do you get a day out chatting up other bosses over a few beers, you get away from the wife and kids."

Elsewhere, he calls Microsoft's founder Bill Gates "Sir William Gates" and speculates: "I don't think Bill Gates made his fortune by spending time in meetings with idiots. I bet no-one watching this has ever spoken to him. It would be easier to speak to Osama bin Laden."

The videos, said to have been made for a six-figure sum, were created two years ago with the aim of showing employees how not to go about conducting business.

Some of the video postings have since been taken down from websites, allegedy at the request of Microsoft, although Microsoft's UK press office reportedly declined to say how the videos had reached the public domain, or whether it had forced any websites to stop hosting them

A spokeswoman for Gervais said she was concerned people would think the comedian was reprising his role as David Brent.

• In other news, Ricky Gervais is starring as a drug dealer in a new video game based on the film 'Scarface'.

The funnyman has also lent his voice to the violent game, and will be heard turning the air blue with a string of swear words in the game version of the 1983 Al Pacino film about Cuban drugs baron Tony Montana.