Ricky Gervais has seemingly confirmed that he was approached to appear in the upcoming series of The Celebrity Traitors after it was reported that he was 'at the top of producer's wish list'.
It was previously alleged by The Sun that executives at the hit BBC show were desperate to sign Ricky up for the celebrity spin-off version. He later responded to the rumours and joked there's "no way the could afford me".
However, now the comedian, 65, has revealed the real reason as to why he will never sign up for it despite admitting that he would love to play the game.
Why Ricky won't join Celebrity Traitors
He told Saga Magazine: "It’s not that it’s beneath me. I’d love to play Traitors, but I don’t want to be filmed playing. What good can come of that? I like watching MMA [Mixed Martial Arts], I don’t want to do it. I don’t want to be doing something I’m not in control of. I don’t want to be away from home playing a game with strangers."
Ricky also told the publication that he has no desire to retire or slow down his workload, citing his father as his inspiration to continue working.
The actor shared: "My dad worked on a building site until he was 70. That’s hard work. I just stand there talking. I still moan and wake up the next morning feeling like I’ve been run over. The adrenaline takes it out of you. It’s like driving really fast for an hour in heavy traffic – easy until you make a mistake – so you mustn’t. I know, I should be pottering around my garden shed, but I don’t think I could sit around doing nothing. You work so you have a reason to sit on the couch and watch telly every night."
Marriage plans and future projects
Elsewhere in the upcoming September issue of the magazine, Ricky revealed that he will marry his partner of 40 years Jane Fallon but only so she avoids having to pay inheritance tax. Asked if that's a good reason to wed, he replied: "It is. And that will be the reason I marry. We haven’t done it yet. But if it wasn’t for [tax]… why? It’s mad. How more married can you be? We share all our money, we’ve been living together for 40 years. Some marriages don’t last a year."
Ricky added he's not happy about being forced down the aisle, concluding: "It’s horrible isn’t it? I’ve got to get around to marrying, before I die."
Ricky's animated series Alley Cats is on Netflix now and he said it could be the project that continues for the rest of his life, saying: "It’s the first show I can imagine doing until I die. I will never run out of ideas for it."
