Wanda Sykes shades Ricky Gervais during his Golden Globe win as he misses ceremony
Wanda Sykes threw major shade at Ricky Gervais as he won at the Golden Globes tonight (11 January).
The Brit was up for the award for Best stand-up comedy performance for his controversial show, Mortality. However, with Gervais missing the ceremony, Sykes took his award with her after presenting the category.
But she was sure to use the opportunity to take aim at the After Life star as she asked if she could 'borrow' Teyana Taylor's speech.
"Because he would like to thank God," Sykes said of the known atheist, before adding: "And the trans community."
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Sykes was soon trending on X following giving these 'thanks' on behalf of Gervais as people say she 'totally nailed' it. The Derek actor, of course, was famously the host of the Golden Globes on a number of occasions but has chosen to skip this year's ceremony.
He said during an appearance on BBC Radio 4 that 'it's too far to go' and that: "It takes a lot to get me off the couch with my cat and my girlfriend watching Netflix. I love the work, I love writing, I love creating, I love stand-up, but all the other stuff I could really do without.”
One social media user wrote following the viral moment tonight: "Wanda Sykes dragging Ricky Gervais one of my highlights of the night."
Another put: "Wanda Sykes gives no f’s and funny thing is neither does Ricky Gervais. One of the blessings of aging."
"Wanda Sykes totally nailed that acceptance speech for Ricky Gervais. So funny and clever," a third said.
As a fourth wrote: "Wanda Sykes thanking the trans community on behalf of Ricky Gervais lmaoooo."
Gervais has previously made 'jokes' about 'taboo subjects' in his Netflix specials and stand-up shows, with rights groups labelling one as 'anti trans' and 'dangerous'.
Dividing people and receiving a fair bit of criticism, he previously said: "In real life, of course I support trans rights. I support all human rights and trans rights are human rights."
In one special he said: "Live your best life, use your preferred pronouns, be the gender that you feel that you are," before adding a punchline about trans women. Gervais also made reference to Eddie Izzard, who has identified as being gender fluid and has requested she/her pronouns.
He said 'it's mad to think that joking about something means you're anti-it'.
Golden Globes 2026 nominations/winners
Best director
- Paul Thomas Anderson - One Battle After Another (winner)
- Ryan Coogler - Sinners
- Guillermo del Toro - Frankenstein
- Jafar Panahi - It Was Just an Accident
- Joachim Trier - Sentimental Value
- Chloe Zhao - Hamnet
Best screenplay
- Paul Thomas Anderson - One Battle After Another (winner)
- Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie - Marty Supreme
- Ryan Coogler - Sinners
- Jafar Panahi - It Was Just an Accident
- Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier - Sentimental Value
- Chloé Zhao, Maggie O'Farrell - Hamnet
Best TV series - drama
- The Diplomat
- The Pitt (winner)
- Pluribus
- Severance
- Slow Horses
- The White Lotus
Best TV series - comedy or musical
- Abbott Elementary
- The Bear
- Hacks
- Nobody Wants This
- Only Murders in the Building
- The Studio (winner)
Best limited TV series
- Adolescence (winner)
- All Her Fault
- The Beast In Me
- Black Mirror
- Dying for Sex
- The Girlfriend
Best TV actress - drama
- Kathy Bates - Matlock
- Britt Lower - Severance
- Helen Mirren - Mobland
- Bella Ramsey - The Last of Us
- Keri Russell - The Diplomat
- Rhea Seehorn - Pluribus (winner)
Best TV actor - drama
- Sterling K Brown - Paradise
- Diego Luna - Andor
- Gary Oldman - Slow Horses
- Mark Ruffalo - Task
- Adam Scott - Severance
- Noah Wyle - The Pitt (winner)
Best supporting actor - TV
- Owen Cooper - Adolescence (winner)
- Billy Crudup - The Morning Show
- Walton Goggins - The White Lotus
- Jason Isaacs - The White Lotus
- Tramell Tillman - Severance
- Ashley Walters - Adolescence
Best supporting actress - TV
- Carrie Coon - The White Lotus
- Erin Doherty - Adolescence (winner)
- Hannah Einbinder - Hacks
- Catherine O'Hara - The Studio
- Parker Posey - The White Lotus
- Aimee-Lou Wood - The White Lotus
Best film - drama
- Frankenstein
- Hamnet
- It Was Just an Accident
- The Secret Agent
- Sentimental Value
- Sinners
Best film - musical or comedy
- Blue Moon
- Bugonia
- Marty Supreme
- No Other Choice
- Nouvelle Vague
- One Battle After Another
Best animated film
- Arco
- Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle
- Elio
- KPop Demon Hunters (winner)
- Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
- Zootopia 2
Best actress - musical or comedy
- Rose Byrne - If I Had Legs I'd Kick You (winner)
- Cynthia Erivo - Wicked: For Good
- Kate Hudson - Song Sung Blue
- Chase Infiniti - One Battle After Another
- Amanda Seyfried - The Testament of Ann Lee
- Emma Stone - Bugonia
Best actor - musical or comedy
- Timothée Chalamet - Marty Supreme (winner)
- George Clooney - Jay Kelly
- Leonardo DiCaprio - One Battle After Another
- Ethan Hawke - Blue Moon
- Lee Byung-Hun - No Other Choice
- Jesse Plemons - Bugonia
Best supporting actress
- Emily Blunt - The Smashing Machine
- Elle Fanning - Sentimental Value
- Ariana Grande - Wicked: For Good
- Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas - Sentimental Value
- Amy Madigan - Weapons
- Teyana Taylor - One Battle After Another (winner)
Best supporting actor
- Benicio Del Toro - One Battle After Another
- Jacob Elordi - Frankenstein
- Paul Mescal - Hamnet
- Sean Penn - One Battle After Another
- Adam Sandler - Jay Kelly
- Stellan Skarsgård - Sentimental Value (winner)
Best actress - drama
- Jessie Buckley - Hamnet (winner)
- Jennifer Lawrence - Die, My Love
- Renate Reinsve - Sentimental Value
- Julia Roberts - After the Hunt
- Tessa Thompson - Hedda
- Eva Victor - Sorry, Baby
Best actor - drama
- Joel Edgerton - Train Dreams
- Oscar Isaac - Frankenstein
- Dwayne Johnson - The Smashing Machine
- Michael B Jordan - Sinners
- Wagner Moura - The Secret Agent (winner)
- Jeremy Allen White - Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere
Topics: Celebrity, Golden Globes, Ricky Gervais, Viral, Social Media
Jess Battison