Ricky Gervais always "feared fame" and worries about being labelled a "horrible" celebrity

Gervais never wanted to achieve that level of fame, and is now overly-nice in public so people don't think he's an unkind guy.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph newspaper, he shared: "I'm terrified that I'll be running for a train and someone asks for a selfie and I would miss the train, just as I won't now send the soup back even if it's cold, because I don't want a single person out there to say, 'Ricky Gervais was horrible.' I just think that would be so unfair. Because I am a nice guy.

"I was happy when I wasn't famous. But there was potential of that because I feared fame. I feared being lumped in with people who would do anything to be famous."

One place where he is always horrible with his jokes is at the Golden Globes, an awards ceremony he has hosted on four occasions in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2016.

Gervais enjoyed being given the freedom to say what he wanted by organisers the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to the stars in attendance, and at no point did he ever worry that his harsh brand of comedy could cost him future film work because he is capable of creating his own projects.

He said: "I'm not beholden to anyone. I don't care what a director or producer thinks of me. Having said that, I never go out and ruin their day - it's too easy."

"They (actors) have to go out and promote their film, which means reading from an autocue. Whereas I can go out there and say, 'Shut up, you disgusting, deviant, pill-popping scum.' It's lovely. And I can say that I'm only joking but I sort of mean it."