A clip of a TV salesman flogging duvets on a late night shopping channel has gone viral after people began comparing his presenting style with The Office character David Brent.
Brent was played by Ricky Gervais on the much-loved BBC mockumentary from 2001 to 2003, before the character was the focus of the 2016 spin-off movie David Brent: Life on the Road.
A clip of actor, presenter and part-time duvet salesman Rob Locke presenting on the shopping channel Ideal World (which airs during the night on ITV) has gone viral on Twitter after it was posted online last night (March 5) with the caption: “I’m sorry but this is actually David Brent flogging duvets on Ideal World.”
I’m sorry but this is actually David Brent flogging duvets on Ideal World pic.twitter.com/3mwiV4loUi
— Ben (@islandniles) March 5, 2020
In the clip, a Brentian Locke can be seen addressing the viewers about buying the duvets. “It doesn’t benefit me in any way, except I suppose I get to come back another day and, you know, I keep my job for a bit longer… make up for all the other failures, you know.
“Haha, I’m just kidding,” he adds, before an awkward pause finally gives way to Locke elaborating on his role as a TV salesman.
“I don’t have to be enthusiastic, I can give you the facts, I can smile and I can do all the usual spiel — I don’t have to like it. You can make your own mind up and if you don’t buy it, it’s not like I’m losing money.
“I know I’m being a bit blunt, but, the point is I don’t swear at… my duvet anymore, I swear by it.”
I (or possibly Ricky Gervais, David Brent, Alan Partridge, Robbie Coltrane and Richard Madeley) am/are back on ITV tonight, after midnight @ 00:35. Join me/us there!
— Rob Locke (@roblockeontv) February 19, 2020
Locke has previously joked about people comparing him to both Gervais and Brent, saying that he also gets Alan Partridge, Robbie Coltrane and Richard Madeley comparisons as well.
Back in 2018, Gervais told NME that Life On The Road was likely to be the last time we’d ever see David Brent on screen.
“I think so,” Gervais said about retiring Brent. “I think Brent at 60 being a tampon rep, still trying to be a pop star might just be too much.”
