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Ricky Gervais Overcomes Redundancy to Achieve Comedy Stardom
8 Oct
Summary
- Ricky Gervais was made redundant at age 37, then pursued comedy
- Ricky's £6M mansion renovation plans stalled by protected bat colony
- Ricky reflects on risks he took to make his entertainment dreams come true
In a reflective social media post on October 8, 2025, renowned comedian Ricky Gervais, now 64, shared the inspirational story of his rise to fame after being made redundant at the age of 37. Gervais, who originally hails from a working-class suburb of Reading, explained the risks he took to try and make his dreams of becoming an entertainer a reality.
After losing his job as an assistant events manager at the University of London Union and a radio station worker at Xfm in 1998, Gervais decided to give himself 6 months to pursue a career in comedy before needing to find another job. Despite his working-class background and a tendency to be lazy in his youth, Gervais managed to turn this setback into an opportunity, ultimately achieving mainstream success with his hit show The Office, which he co-wrote with Stephen Merchant.
However, Gervais' journey has not been without its challenges. In a recent development, his £6 million countryside mansion renovation plans have been thwarted by a family of protected soprano pipistrelle bats that have taken up residence in his loft. According to a report, the comedian will need to obtain a special license and make accommodations for the bats before he can proceed with his plans to demolish the existing property and build a new one with a gym and tennis court.
