Ricky Gervais jokes he’ll have his fans ‘reported for hate crimes’ for laughing at his new material

Comedian made comment in post thanking ‘amazing audience’ at his ‘Armageddon’ show in London

Ricky Gervais has joked that he’ll report his fans “for hate crimes” for laughing at his new material.

The comedian performed tonight (8 June) at the Leicester Square Theatre in London, showcasing a new stand-up set for his forthcoming Netflix special Ricky Gervais: Armageddon.

Immediately after the show, Gervais jumped on Twitter to thank his fans, writing: “Another amazing audience at @lsqtheatre for my #Armageddon new material night.”

“They laughed at things that shouldn’t be laughed at and I have reported them all for hate crimes,” said the comic. “I’ll do more soon.”

His tour comes after the recent release of his Netflix special Ricky Gervais: SuperNature, which The Independent’s Nick Hilton gave two out of three stars, arguing that “the comedian seems more comfortable with jokes that rely on a cheap shock factor rather than any emotional or creative truth”.

The LGBTQ advocacy organisation GLAAD issued a statement similarly labelling his special “dangerous, anti-trans rants masquerading as jokes”.

Gervais’s Netflix special has been met with condemnation online over a series of remarks targeting the trans community.

Viewers have described the star’s show, SuperNature, as “toxic” and “transphobic” following its release on Tuesday (24 May). Read quotes from the show here.

Ricky Gervais: Armageddon has yet to announce a premiere date.