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COMEDIAN RICKY GERVAIS HAS BEEN AWARDED A STAR ON THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME, BUT IT APPEARS HE USED HIS ACCEPTANCE SPEECH TO TAKE A SWIPE AT HIS FELLOW STARS ON THE WALK 12:25, 31 May 2025
Ricky Gervais faced controversy on Friday as he accepted a coveted Hollywood Walk of Fame award. The comedian, 63, was honoured for his contributions to the entertainment industry and posed
with his newly minted star on Hollywood Boulevard at the iconic Los Angeles landmark. Dressed down in a black T-shirt, jeans, trainers and sunglasses, The Office creator confessed he was
"surprised" to join the ranks of the Walk of Fame, which features a host of past and present A-listers. However, he risked the honour with a quip, joking about being pleased to
join some of the legends commemorated on the boulevard, including Michael Jackson, Bill Cosby and Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle – all of whom have been accused of sexual assault.
"Thank you so much for this honour. It's a genuine thrill to be part of such an exclusive club," Ricky said, according to Variety. He added: "And just looking around
earlier at all the other stars, absolute icons, you know? Michael Jackson, Bill Cosby, Fatty Arbuckle." All three men faced trials for their alleged offences, but only The Cosby Show
lead, Cosby, was found guilty of sexual assault – a conviction that was later overturned – while Jackson was cleared of molestation charges and Arbuckle was acquitted of rape and
manslaughter. Article continues below Ricky, known for leaving the Golden Globes crowd absolutely gobsmacked in 2020 with his 'woke' gags about Jeffrey Epstein, Harvey Weinstein
and Prince Andrew, kicked off his speech by saying: "Wow, this is a huge surprise. I never thought I'd win this today.", reports the Mirror. Unfurling a scrap of paper, he
continued: "I haven't even prepared a speech or anything. I should firstly apologize for how I'm dressed. This isn't me trying to be cool or disrespectful to the
establishment. This is me not having a suit that fits anymore." Later on, he quipped about his knack for "not very good at taking things too seriously" and lobbed his
notorious remarks about his peers on the Walk of Fame despite claiming he was "going to try and be serious". Ricky's no newbie when it comes to causing a stir with his
speeches, having left attendees uncomfortable at the Golden Globes in 2020 with his audacious performance. Taking the stage for his fifth hosting gig, the comic unleashed an eight-minute
tirade lambasting Hollywood's elite, touching on racism, the Epstein scandal, and ending with a dig at every "woke" celeb who fancies giving a lecture while clutching their
award. The morning after the awards, Ricky found himself in hot water as a slew of celebs lashed out at the After Life creator, branding him 'cruel' and 'unkind' for his
sharp-tongued jests at Hollywood's finest. However, hitting back on X, the comic quipped: "Thank you for all your amazing comments about my Golden Globes monologue. Best reaction
ever, that means a lot to me." He then added with relief: "I had a blast but thank f*** it's over so I can get back to my real job of editing #AfterLife2 and touring
#SuperNature. Makes jokes not war." Article continues below WANT ALL THE BIGGEST SHOWBIZ AND TV NEWS STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX? SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY STAR SHOWBIZ NEWSLETTER