At the Golden Globes on Sunday, Ricky Gervais was one of the high points. His short presenting duties included as aside to friend Kate Winslet, who had, just minutes earlier, won the Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe for The Reader. Gervais said to Winslet, “Well done Winslet. I told you, do a Holocaust movie and the awards come, didn’t I? Trouble is with Holocaust films is there’s never any gag reel on the DVDs.” After mostly laughter and a few groans, Garvais did a bit as if he had an angel and devil on his shoulders trying to persuade him to either not do the bit, or to do the bit. Gervais got a lot of laughs, and even better press. Well, the American press loves him. The British press, not so much. Apparently, after the Globes, several British tabloids claimed that Ricky’s bit didn’t go down well. Ricky, in turn, is lashing out the British press on his official website.

Comedian Ricky Gervais has unleashed a bitter tirade against the British media – accusing U.K. journalists of putting a negative spin on his recent Golden Globe Awards antics because they are “jealous” of his successful career.

The Office star provoked a storm of controversy at Sunday’s (11Jan09) prizegiving ceremony in Los Angeles by telling a risque joke about the Holocaust while presenting fellow Brit, Kate Winslet, with an award for her performance in World War II movie The Reader.

Gervais told the crowd, “Well done Winslet. I told you, do a Holocaust movie and the awards come, didn’t I? Trouble is with Holocaust films is there’s never any gag reel on the DVDs.”

The funnyman’s comments sparked outrage amongst the U.K. press, but Gervais has criticised the negative commentary about his gaff.

He writes on his official website, “The joke about Kate Winslet may have got the biggest laugh of the night. Everyone who spoke to me said so anyway. All the U.S. press said it was funny including Jewish magazine Heeb. TV Guide made it one of their top moments. New York Daily News said it was ‘Hilarious.’ The Boston Globe said “British comic Ricky Gervais proved once again to be the highlight of an awards show.”

“So why did a couple of English papers say it went down badly? Because they’re jealous lying c***s who’s (sic) lives haven’t turned out like they planned and want everyone to be as unhappy as they are.”

From contactmusic.com

Well done, Gervais. Put the tabloids in their place. From what I can see, the British papers seem to have a love-hate relationship with Gervais – and many other celebrities. I’m not sure calling them “jealous lying c–ts” is the best media strategy, but sure, throw it against the wall and see if it sticks. It’s always seemed that the American press is a lot nicer to the British talents who try to make it in our country as opposed to the British press who, I can only guess, feel abandoned? Is that it? Do the British tabloids have abandonment issues? Is their treatment of Ricky Gervais the equivalent of pulling his hair and running away to let him know they have a crush on him?

Note by Celebitchy: When Gervais reminded Kate Winslet that he told her to do a Halocaust movie, he was making a reference to an appearance she made as herself on his show, “Extras.” Gervais gave Winslet the advice in an episode of the show, so it’s not like he pulled that reference out of thin air.

Ricky Gervais and his girlfriend, producer Jane Fallon, are shown at the Golden Globes on 1/11/09. Credit: WENN