Joe Lycett calls Ricky Gervais' 'weak' comedy specials a 'tragedy'

Joe Lycett has mounted a strong critique of fellow stand-up comedian Ricky Gervais, saying the latter's focus on anti-woke material and jokes about the transgender community is a "waste of skill".

Lycett told The News Agents podcast that he has been disappointed by Gervais' recent comedy specials, in which material about the so-called "war on woke" has featured heavily. Some of his most talked-about jokes have taken aim at trans people, including one directed at Eddie Izzard.

"What I think is perhaps disappointing about Gervais and the people like him that are doing this sort of 'I’ll just say how it is', and the last show he did, the real tragedy for me was that it was comedically weak," said Lycett.

The 35-year-old comic added: "If you removed the Gervais-ness of it, and you gave it to a new stand-up, they’d struggle in a club with the material he had."

Lycett, who recently fronted the Channel 4 documentary Joe Lycett vs Sewage, has focused much of his work in the last few years on activism and shining a light on important issues.

He added: "Gervais has done amazing, amazing, work and what a waste of that skill to attack minorities. That’s how I feel about it.

"I’m not going to say he shouldn’t do it, do whatever he wants, I don’t want to get involved in his creative process, but I would prefer to see him use that skill and that wit to attack people who possibly need to be attacked more than the trans community."

Gervais has attempted to criticise cancel culture in his most recent shows for Netflix, even saying ahead of 2023 special Armageddon that "I want to try and get cancelled".

Lycett is not the only comic to express distaste at Gervais, with James Acaster joking in a frequently viral routine about "edgy comedians" like Gervais and their love of punching down at easy targets.

Frankie Boyle also said on a podcast in 2020 that Gervais is "a brilliant actor, he’s a brilliant writer, he’s not a f***ing stand-up comedian".

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