Caitlyn Jenner snubbed Ricky Gervais at the National Television Awards following the comedian’s multiple jokes about her transition.
Back in 2016, After Life star Ricky mocked Caitlyn in his Golden Globes opening monologue in a joke he insists he does not regret, while his Netflix special Humanity saw the 58-year-old repeatedly dead-name the former Olympian.
And when Caitlyn, 70, ran into the comic at the NTAs, she wasn’t about to drop her grudge.
Her I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! campmate Roman Kemp told the whole cringeworthy tale on Capital Breakfast, as he explained he saw Caitlyn snub Ricky after he walked up to introduce himself.
Roman said of the NTAs: ‘Everyone was there including Caitlyn Jenner, so obviously there’s a lot of people who want to come up to Caitlyn and want to be able to say hello, meet her for the first time, she’s one of the most inspirational human beings on the planet.
This was the moment Ricky Gervais met Caitlyn Jenner, and…
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— Capital (@CapitalOfficial) January 29, 2020
‘So I just want to kind of set the scene for you. So, I’m there, Caitlyn’s there, we’re all chatting, everyone’s around… there’s Phillip Schofield, there’s Holly Willoughby, Graham Norton’s over there… everyone’s chatting, everyone’s mingling… And, I hark your mind over to a couple of years ago where Ricky Gervais is on his world tour, his Humanity Tour. The entirety of the Humanity Tour is basically ongoing gags about Caitlyn Jenner, and let me tell you, Caitlyn ain’t a fan of Ricky Gervais.’
Vick Hope said: ‘Understandably, he’s not that nice about her in it!’, with Roman continuing: ‘It came up a few times in the jungle. Someone would say “oh I love The Office” and she’s just have this stare of just like “no”. In Caitlyn’s mind, she has that constant hashtag of #RickyGervaisiscancelledparty, do you know what I mean? That is it.’
The 27-year-old said: ‘Yeah, so I’m minding my own business, you know, just kinda chatting around and then all of a sudden I look over and Ricky Gervais is walking over to Caitlyn Jenner, but then I realise I’m in a conversation with someone else. So I’m going: “Oh, yeah, so, sorry, it’s a lovely night”… Oh my god she’s going to shake his hand! This is really happening!…
‘“Erm, yeah, so the jungle was a really nice place to go, it was really tough, it was really tough”…Ricky’s gonna say something to her! What’s gonna say? Oh my word!…“Is your dad here tonight?” “No, he’s not here tonight, no, no, no, I think he’s with my mum, I think he’s with my mum.” …They’re about to talk to each other!…
‘And it happened… the most awkward encounter ever, Ricky Gervais reaches out his hand and says “Caitlyn, so lovely to meet you.” Caitlyn literally looks out the corner of her eyes and goes “yeah.”’
Sublime.
Roman added that Caitlyn didn’t stay for a conversation, with Vick saying: ‘Did she walk away? Oh… you know what though, why be polite? If you wanna walk away, walk away!’
Ricky has been accused of transphobia over his jokes about Caitlyn, starting with his Golden Globes monologue four years ago, when he addressed the fatal car crash Jenner was involved in (she was not charged).
He said: ‘I’m going to be nice tonight. I’ve changed – not as much as Bruce Jenner. Obviously.
‘Now Caitlyn Jenner, of course. What a year she’s had! She became a role model for trans people everywhere, showing great bravery in breaking down barriers and destroying stereotypes. She didn’t do a lot for women drivers. But you can’t have everything, can you? Not at the same time.’
In his Humanity special, Gervais said: ‘That’s a clever joke, and I’ll tell you why. It’s layered. The subject of that joke is stereotypes, I’m playing with the notion of stereotypes. So, I start off saying, “She’s a real woman.” Some would say, a liberal progressive attitude.’
He then said he was being criticised for using Caitlyn’s dead name, saying: ‘I saw him on the Olympic games. It won a medal. It was on tele all the time. A big famous man. With a huge, I don’t know. I would never dead-name her. But when she was a man. I’d never dead-name her now, but this is like a flashback. Cause that was his name, this was years ago, right? That was his name, for 58 years, I think.’
Other comments included: ‘She’s always identified as a woman. That means she’s a woman. Fine, if that’s the rules. If you feel you’re a woman, you are. I’m not a bigot who thinks having all that done is science going too far.
‘In fact, I don’t think it’s going far enough. ’Cause I’ve always identified as a chimp, right? Well, I am a chimp. If I say I’m a chimp, I am a chimp pre-op. But don’t ever dead-name me. Don’t call me Ricky Gervais again. From now on, you call me Bobo.
‘I’ll be legally a chimp… I’ll be able to use chimp toilets.’
Last night at the NTAs, Caitlyn presented the award for best challenge show to the Great British Bake Off, before I’m A Celebrity won The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award.
Meanwhile, Ricky’s show After Life lost out to Mrs Brown’s Boys for the comedy award.
Tune into Capital Breakfast with Roman Kemp weekdays from 6am to 10am.
National Television Awards 2020: Winners List
Challenge: The Great British Bake Off
Factual (Entertainment): Odd One Out – Jesy Nelson
Drama: Peaky Blinders
Comedy: Mrs Brown’s Boys
Serial Drama Performance: Katie McGlynn
Impact Award: Gavin And Stacey
Live Magazine: This Morning
TV Judge: David Walliams
New Drama: Chernobyl
TV Presenter: Ant and Dec
Newcomer: Peter Ash
Special Recognition: Sir Michael Palin
Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award: I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here
Drama Performance: Cillian Murphy – Peaky Blinders
Serial Drama: Emmerdale
Talent: Strictly Come Dancing
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