Ricky Gervais says he would marry longtime partner to avoid inheritance tax

By Sean O'Grady, Press Association Deputy Entertainment Editor

Ricky Gervais has said he would marry his longtime partner Jane Fallon to avoid paying inheritance tax.

The comedian and the author, both 65, have been together since 1982 but chose never to marry.

Speaking to Saga magazine, Gervais was asked whether avoiding inheritance tax would be a good reason to marry Fallon and said: “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.

“It’s horrible, isn’t it? ‘I’ve got to get around to marrying, before I die.’”

Earlier this year, Fallon revealed she had been diagnosed with breast cancer after a routine mammogram.

She had two surgeries, which “went well”, and said she was “looking forward to getting back to normal”.

Elsewhere during the interview, Gervais expressed the belief that “cancel culture” – when people call out or boycott a well-known individual over remarks or actions seen as offensive – has peaked.

He said: “Everyone got stressed about cancel culture, including me, [although] I tried to meet it head on. But it’s peaked. It’s cyclic.

“Each generation tries to ‘outwoke’ the generation before; some things they’re right about, some things wrong, then we settle and go on until the next time.’

“I can’t imagine what I’d have to say for my audience to cancel me, but 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.”

The Office star also said he is “pro-choice” when it comes to the issue of assisted dying, but it would take “a lot” for him to make such a decision for himself.

He said: “I’m pro-choice; it’s your life, you should be able to do what you want, but there are all these ridiculous conspiracy theories that people are too eager [to use its powers] that have spooked people [in the House of Lords to block it].’

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

Gervais, whose latest series Alley Cats was released on August 7th, also stated he has no plans to retire.

He said: “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.”