Ricky Gervais makes stance clear on retirement calls amid Netflix Alley Cats backlash

The 65-year-old comedian has now acknowledged that he could understand why some might expect him to wind down at his age, but rejected the idea.

Speaking to Saga magazine, he stated: “My dad worked on a building site until he was 70. That’s hard work. I just stand there talking.”

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The star of The Office admitted the physical toll of performing still catches up with him, comparing it to “driving really fast for an hour in heavy traffic.”

“I know, I should be pottering around my garden shed, but I don’t think I could sit around doing nothing,” he continued. “You work so you have a reason to sit on the couch and watch telly every night.”

During the same interview, Mr Gervais disclosed that he and his long-term partner Jane Fallon are likely to tie the knot, but for purely financial reasons.

The couple, who are both 65 and have been together since 1982, have never felt the need to formalise their relationship until now.

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When asked whether dodging inheritance tax was sufficient motivation to tie the knot, 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 much more married can you be?” he continued, noting they have shared their finances and lived together for four decades.

Mr Gervais also touched on Ms Fallon’s breast cancer diagnosis earlier this year following a routine mammogram.

She underwent two operations, both of which were successful, and expressed her eagerness to return to normality.

Mr Gervais also weighed in on the debate around cancel culture, declaring his belief that the phenomenon has now reached its zenith.

“Everyone got stressed about cancel culture, including me, [although] I tried to meet it head-on. But it’s peaked. It’s cyclic,” he told the publication.

He argued that successive generations attempt to outdo their predecessors on social issues, sometimes getting it right and sometimes missing the mark, before things eventually settle down.

The comedian expressed doubt that anything he could say would turn his own fanbase against him, suggesting the real victims of cancellation were never high-profile entertainers.

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“Cancel culture never really was about comedians that could sell millions of tickets. It was about teachers and nurses who were losing their jobs because of an ideology,” he said.

On the subject of assisted dying, Mr Gervais described himself as firmly pro-choice, insisting that individuals should have autonomy over their own lives.

“But it would take quite a lot to get me there. I’d want every last breath. It’s only if every breath hurts,” he added.

The comedian also reflected on the demanding nature of live performance, despite his insistence on continuing to work.

“I still moan and wake up the next morning feeling like I’ve been run over. The adrenaline takes it out of you,” he said, drawing a contrast with his father’s career in construction, which he described as genuinely hard physical labour.