Ricky Gervais slams reports of ‘awkward encounter’ with Caitlyn Jenner at the NTAs

Ricky Gervais has shut down reports of an “awkward encounter” with Caitlyn Jenner at the National Television Awards, revealing that the star was “lovely and gracious” to him.

Gervais, 58, previously made the former Olympian the punchline of a controversial joke in his 2016 Golden Globe monologue.

Speaking on his radio show this morning (January 29), Capital Breakfast host Roman Kemp claimed that his fellow I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here star Jenner, 70, had an uncomfortable run in with Gervais at the awards ceremony.

“And it happened, the most awkward encounter ever,” he told listeners.

“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.’”

He went on to claim that Jenner had implied her dislike of the comedian during her stint on the ITV reality show, adding: “It came up a few times in the jungle. Someone would say ‘Oh I love The Office’ and she’d just have this stare of, like, ‘No.’”

Writing on Twitter, Gervais described Kemp’s story as “absolutely false.”

“She was lovely and gracious,” he claimed. “She said she loved my Golden Globes monologue & I said I loved her stint in I’m a Celebrity.

“And that was it. No snubbing. No awkwardness. No rudeness.”

His partner Jane Fallon added: “Absolutely right. I was standing right there. No idea why @romankemp would make this up.”

Gervais’ Netflix series Afterlife was nominated for Best Comedy but lost out to Mrs Brown’s Boys.

His reference to Jenner in his Golden Globes speech back in 2016 courted controversy, alluding to the reality star’s 2015 car crash.

“What a year she’s had,” he said. “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.”

Looking back at the divisive moment in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Gervais said that he was not transphobic, adding: “I was very careful that the joke was about her being a bad driver. The joke was about stereotypes.

“I started off being correctly inclusive saying she’s brave, breaking down barriers. And then I [said] she didn’t do a lot for women drivers.”