I have mixed feelings about Ricky Gervais. I loved The Office, obviously, but thought his latest Hollywood film was poor, the cinematic equivalent of When the Whistle Blows, the hacky sitcom-within-a-sitcom in Extras. As for his numerous attacks on celebrity culture, they would have slightly more credibility if he didn’t appear in a different glossy magazine each week, complete with full-page colour photo.
Last night saw his biggest bid for stardom yet when he hosted the 67th Golden Globes. Gervais has been a presence at the Globes since he won an acting award for his performance in The Office in 2004, but only ever in a walk-on role, not as the leading man. According to the New York Times, this was an attempt by NBC to shore up the award show’s ratings, which have been poor in recent years. But would he be able to carry a show of this magnitude? For someone who has always set himself up as an opponent of phoney baloney showbiz schmaltz, it was quite a risk. (To read more, click here.)
