Ricky Gervais's mantlepiece in his new house is bulging with awards. "Well, actually I've had a special cabinet built for them, sad isn't it?" says Ricky.
But then again the 'chubby funster' (the tabloids' words not ours), has had a phenomenal impact on British comedy. The Office is one of very few British TV comedies that has translated to an American audience and Ricky has followed it up with the critically acclaimed Extras and three sell-out tours.
Channel 4's new series, Heroes Of Comedy begins this week with a look at Ricky's career, from his first appearances on Xfm and his early TV incarnations on The 11 O’Clock Show and Meet Ricky Gervais through to his current status as the funniest working man in showbiz. The show chats to Ricky's friends and collaborators including co-writer Stephen Merchant, Billy Connolly, Simpsons creator Matt Groening, Michael Palin, Chris Rock and Russell Brand. Watch our recent interview with Ricky where he talks about Hollywood, meeting De Niro and the pressures of fame by clicking on the link above.
Ricky Gervais: New Hero of Comedy is on Channel 4 at 9.00pm on Friday.
