Ricky Gervais has claimed he is going to 'try and get cancelled' with his next stand-up show.
Down the years, countless comics have complained that political correctness, woke culture and the prospect of being ostracised for a risqué joke have left them feeling creatively stifled.
But Gervais has seemingly decided that he won't be holding back with his next show; rather, he plans on charging straight towards cancellation.
The 60-year-old told Heat: "One thing I've decided to definitely do, and can't wait to start on, is my new stand-up show, which is going to be called Armageddon.
"I'm treating it like it's my last one ever. It won't be, but I want to put everything into it.
"I want to try and get cancelled. No, I just want to go all-out there.
"It's about the end of the world and how we're going to destroy ourselves for lots of reasons, whether it's media stupidity, or the actual end of the world."
Lovely, cuddly, light-hearted subjects for comedy then, as ever. Laugh or we'll cry, I suppose.
He added that he's excited to get cracking on another show with Netflix, following the conclusion of After Life.
Thanks for all your beautiful tweets about #Afterlife and for recommending it to your friends. You've created a global phenomenon. It's really unbelievable to be honest. Most of all, thanks for supporting all the people who open up about grief. Best fans in the world ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Xn4iOWrYUS
— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) January 30, 2022
He said: "As for the next scripted thing, Netflix said I could either do a fourth season of After Life or the first season of something new.
"And I'm going for something new. That feels very exciting. I'll keep going for as long as I'm allowed."
In terms of Armageddon, while the end of the world may not sound like the funniest subject on paper, it's how you approach the subject which matters - a point Gervais has been preaching for many years.
He reiterated this deeply embedded perspective in a new interview with WSJ, in which he said: "There's no subject you shouldn't joke about. It depends on the joke.
"As a journalist, there's nothing you wouldn't write about. It depends on your angle, right?
"I think a lot of this pious offense comes from people mistaking the target of the joke with the subject.
"You can joke about anything, but it depends on what the actual target is. If you use irony and people see that at face value and think you're saying one thing but you're actually saying the opposite.
"Even the critical thinkers, if it's a subject that's personal to them, they can't see the wood for the trees, they can't see objectively. People laugh at 19 of the terrible subjects I joke about, but not the 20th because that affects them."
