A clay sculpture of Ricky Gervais' iconic character David Brent has been unveiled at a Premier Inn in Slough, celebrating 25 years since The Office UK first aired on British television. Commissioned by Premier Inn, the statue is permanently displayed at the Slough Trading Estate hotel, which now occupies the site of Crossbow House—the building used as the exterior of Wernham Hogg in the show's opening credits.
Statue Details and Unveiling
The bust, created by sculptor Gareth Knowles, took 120 hours to complete and weighs seven kilograms. It was unveiled by Brent impersonator Tim Oliver, who re-enacted the character's pose and signature dance moves that helped make Gervais internationally famous. The sculpture is a permanent installation at the hotel.
Premier Inn's Tribute
A spokesperson for Premier Inn said: "We're thrilled to unveil this brilliant tribute to mark its place in British comedy history. Ricky's iconic character truly put Slough on the map, and it's only fitting to honour him with this memorable statue, which we hope will be particularly popular with some of the millions of business travellers who stay with us each year."
The spokesperson added: "Whilst the building itself is totally transformed – our guests are more likely to be interested in pillows than photocopiers – eagle-eyed fans will certainly spot the similarity in the footprint of the site." Crossbow House was demolished in 2013 and redeveloped into a Premier Inn a few years later.
Fan Research and Show Impact
The hotel chain commissioned research of 2,000 adults, which found that David Brent's Comic Relief dance was the top moment from the show, receiving 26% of the vote. It was followed by Dawn returning to the Christmas party to kiss Tim in the festive special (15%). Nearly three-quarters of viewers consider the show a nostalgic snapshot of early 2000s working life, though 68% said they would not want to work in an environment like Wernham Hogg.
The Premier Inn spokesperson concluded: "From tech to business attire, office life has changed drastically in the 25 years since the show aired but what hasn’t changed is the need for business travellers to know what they’re getting with a great night’s sleep in a comfortable room ready to face the day – no matter how embarrassing their boss is."
