Ricky Gervais has dismissed accusations he offended Tim Allen and Tom Hanks with his risque jokes at the Golden Globes on Sunday (16Jan11) - he enjoyed a drink with the Hollywood actors after the ceremony.
The actor/comedian has come under fire for his humour at the event, with a number of stars, including Claire Danes, subsequently taking aim at him for making jokes at the expense of celebrity guests. Phillip Berk, president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the group behind the Globes, called Gervais' jibes "totally unacceptable".
However, the Brit has defended his jokes, insisting he had "better gags" than when he hosted the show last year (10), and revealing two of the stars he poked fun at, Hanks and Allen, weren't offended by his comedy.
In a post on his blog, he writes, "I enjoyed the Globes more this year. I think I had better gags. More along the lines of the Mel Gibson one last year.
"All the same conspiracy theories as last year too... 'So and so was offended'... 'Hasn't been invited back yet'... Exactly the same as last time. 'Paul McCartney was furious'... No, he wasn't. And nor was Tim Allen and Tom Hanks. I was drinking with them after.
"Why do people have to embellish? They're allowed to say they hated it. They're allowed to say they didn't find it funny, that it was tasteless, over the top, or whatever.
"But why do they speculate and make stuff up? Don't worry, I know the answer. Because it's more interesting than 'It went fine and some people won some awards and then went to a party'. But that's all that happened."
Gervais has also denied reports he was taken off stage for an hour during the prizegiving, revealing he was allowed to choose the sections he hosted: "Obviously the rumour that the organisers stopped me going out on stage for an hour is rubbish.
"I did every link I was scheduled to do. The reason why the gaps were uneven is because when I got the rundown I was allowed to choose who I presented to.
"I obviously chose the spots that I had the best gags for. They couldn't move around the order but I could move around however I wanted."
Tagged in Golden Globes Ricky Gervais