Ricky Gervais has X-rated response to people calling on him to host Oscars

Ricky Gervais had given a hilarious response to calls for him to host the Oscars in the future, having previously presented a number of Golden Globes ceremonies.

This year’s star-studded event was helmed by comedian Jimmy Kimmel, who made quips about everything from James Cameron and Tom Cruise not showing up to – inevitably – last year’s dramatic slap-gate.

Some of the jokes fell flat, including a moment where Kimmel asked Malala to comment on whether or not Harry Styles did spit on Chris Pine, leaving some viewers looking to other celebrities for hosting duties.

One person suggested Gervais, who has hosted the Golden Globes a total of five times - in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, and 2020.

“RT if you wish @rickygervais was hosting the #Oscars tonight,” they said, sharing a compilation of Gervais’ best moments, with the tweet racking up more than 1,800 retweets and hundreds of quote tweets.

Someone commented: “It would have been hilarious.”

Another wrote: “I would take Ricky Gervais over Jimmy Kimmel any day of the week.”

A third described him as the ‘funniest host ever’, while a fourth added: “Comedy gold. Pure comedy gold.”

However, it doesn’t sound like it’s too likely.

Gervais shared the tweet, writing: “F*** that.”

He added a crying-with-laughter emoji, just to hit home how much he hated the idea.

Twitter

Gervais' monologues were a huge draw for viewers, but he told us last year that he actually asked the Golden Globes not to offer him the gig again after a final round in 2020.

"It could be the Golden Globes could offer me 10 million for 10 minutes work, you know, and I'd be an idiot, I'd be a liar, to say I wouldn't consider it," he explained.

"But at the moment, given I've done it five times, it got better and better for me - I enjoyed them all, but it got better - and I'm planning never to do it again.

"I've asked them not to ask me because I can be persuaded, that's true. You know, it's not a principle."

NBC

It was a similarly tough call for The Office creator to call time on his Netflix series After Life.

Unlike every other series he has made, Gervais decided to let it live beyond its second series, with the third and final instalment released on the streaming service on Friday (14 January).

Once again, there is plenty of appetite for more of the sitcom, in which he plays bereaved reporter Tony, but he's concluded it's time to move on, content that the end of the show is 'pretty perfect'.

"It seems odd to end it at its peak," he admitted.

"Everyone loves it, the money goes up. But I think you've got to move on. You've got to leave it somewhere.

"And I would kick myself if I did a fourth series for squillions and it wasn't as good as the third.

"But you know, you're not sure about anything, because you don't know what the future holds. But at the moment, I'm saying this is the last - no more Golden Globes. But you know, you never know."