Ricky Gervais mortified after finding out why cricket box was too small for him

It turns out that celebrities aren't immune from major fashion faux pas that make you want the ground to swallow you up.

Comedian Ricky Gervais revealed that he suffered quite the embarrassment during a trip to a sporting goods store while purchasing a cricket box.

Take a look here:

If you're not into combat sports or, of course, cricket, you might be wondering what on earth one of those is.

I'm not saying you were staring there, but have you ever noticed sportsmen often have something in their pants?

It's a piece of protective equipment - known as a cricket box or compression cup - which is designed to protect the groin and pelvic region from hard blows or flying balls.

Although Gervais is more of a martial arts man than a bat and ball bloke, his crotch still needs that cover.

During an appearance on The Graham Norton Show, the actor, 62, shared an anecdote about his awkward retail experience when he purchased his first cricket box.

The bizarre topic came up while he was sat on the red couch alongside actress Julianne Moore, chef Jamie Oliver and Gangs of London star Paapa Essiedu.

The celebrities were discussing the behind-the-scenes snaps that Oliver shared on social media after revealing that he had secretly starred in Star Wars as a stormtrooper.

BBC/The Graham Norton Show

Gervais jokingly asked if they 'had to build an extension' on a certain part of his costume, as the culinary whizz said it was 'very painful' to wear.

The comedian continued: "Talking of that... I started doing karate when I was about 25, 26, right.

"And they said you've got to go along and get a box right for - you know - in case you get kicked.

"I went along and I went to Lily Whites and I got a cricket box."

Gervais couldn't wait to try on his new bit of kit when he got home, but he discovered that it was hardly the perfect fit, as he recalled how it seemed to be 'really tight' on him.

So, like any Brit would, he marched back into the store to get a refund for his supposedly defunct genital guard.

Gervais explained: "I went back, I got to the front of the queue and I said to the guy, 'I'm not being funny, but this box is too small for me'.

BBC/The Graham Norton Show

"And he went, 'yeah, it's a child's'."

The comedian's shopping blunder is sure to have left the poor till assistant thinking that he had come in the store to strangely brag about the size of his nether regions, only for it to epically backfire.

Gervais comically added: "It wasn't that tight!"

The Derek star used to regularly practice karate and play football until he gave it all up when he got an office job - which went on to inspire his hilarious hit series, The Office.

He previously said: "I started off on reception, then I was assistant to the manager, and then I became middle management. I knew what it was like.

"David Brent was a Frankenstein of those people I’ve met who worry more about their reputation than their character. That can manifest itself in pretension, being needy, being two-faced, all those things we threw in.

"His worst crime was mistaking popularity for respect. I got it all right. It was my experience, my vision. And I nailed it."