Ricky Gervais Says the Golden Globes — and the Oscars — Want Him Again

Ricky Gervais -- the troublemaking Golden Globes host who made callous, hilariously truthful jokes about such esteemed statesmen as Hugh Hefner, Tim Allen, and Robert Downey Jr. during his last hosting gig -- claims he's been asked back to the ceremony for a third straight year. And the Oscars, too. That's fantastic. But is Gervais willing to take up the offers? The giggling imp explains.

While Gervais claims the HFPA has reached out to him in The Guardian, he doesn't sound optimistic about returning to the dais.

Asked by interviewer Richard Bacon if he was considering the [Golden Globes] offer, Gervais replied: "I am but I shouldn't do it. It's a second encore. Don't do a second encore. I don't think I should do it. What am I going back as?"

A hysterical host, that's who! Speaking of last year's furor, he added:

"Just because you are offended doesn't mean you are right," Gervais said of his critics. "People fall into this myth that I'm a shock comedian. I've never been that. People say I crossed the line but I didn't draw the fucking line, you did."

Once again, genius. And finally, Gervais explains sound reasoning for turning down the Oscars.

The star, who gave the first preview of his new sitcom, Life's Too Short, a BBC and HBO co-production which will air in the UK on BBC2, also revealed he had been approached about hosting the Oscars, a gig he said he would never accept.

"They said to my agent would he like to be on our list. I couldn't do the Oscars. It's a thankless task for a comedian. They don't want to hear jokes, they want to hear if they have won the most important award of their career," he said.

I concur, but that's hogwash. All of Melissa Leo's antics, Oscar-related or not, should be tagged with zingers.

· Ricky Gervais Invited Back to Host Golden Globes [Guardian]