Ricky Gervais: 'Comedy is more important than ever after Donald Trump's win'

Ricky Gervais says comedy is more important now than ever in the wake of Donald Trump’s election victory.

Gervais said it was “mad” that Trump had criticised comedians for mocking him, despite the President-elect frequently lambasting people on Twitter.

“Comedy is going to be more important now. We need a little boy to point at the king and say, ‘Look he’s naked,’” he told the Standard.

He said he felt too “scared” to make jokes about subjects Trump has been criticised for because he doesn’t want to be on a par with the billionaire: “Donald Trump got in after admitting he abused women.

“I feel like I can’t make jokes about it because it’s too scary. I don’t know what my position is in the world.

"I used to go out and ironically be the idiot and say the wrong thing, but now I don’t want to because I don’t want to be on their [Trump’s] side.”

He said social media had played a massive role in inflaming “mob bullying” and resulted in perpetrators being praised:

“You’ve got trolls who have columns in newspapers and get invited onto This Morning and a President who was the host of The Apprentice getting into Twitter fights.”

Gervais, 55, was speaking ahead of the DVD release of Life On The Road, in which he reprises his role as David Brent — who is “more relevant and poignant now” than in The Office as he lives in a “different world”, the comedian added.

“He’s been sold a lie just like every kid that thinks they can win X Factor and [then] nothing happens when you do.

"You go back to the shoe shop, because it was based on begging and a public vote — not on you earning it.”

David Brent Life On The Road is out now on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital Download.

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