Ricky Gervais’ Grandma Predicted He’d Die Poor

Count Ricky Gervais’ nan among the people he’s seemed to have rubbed the wrong way over the years. If the Hollywood elite, the trans community, the Royal Family and the Catholic Church find him abrasive, why should his own family be any different?

Click right here to get the best of Cracked sent to your inbox.

Gervais recently revealed on X what his grandmother thought of his early ambitions to entertain the masses. “When I was 8 years old, my Nan asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up,” he xeeted. “I said, ‘An international superstar.’ She smiled sweetly & said, ‘You’ll probably die poor in an underfunded hospital like grandad, you ambitious little c***.’”

Before you clutch your pearls in horror, let’s cut ol’ Nan some slack here. While the c-slur is almost never acceptable in the United States and other countries, it’s considered more or less an average swear word in the U.K., akin to “bastard” or “arsehole.” Gervais himself recently used the epithet to xeet an insult at an injured Spanish bullfighter:  “Good. Hope you ruined your tights. Now stop torturing Bulls, you sadistic, sequinned, c***.” When a grandmother uses it, especially when aimed at an obnoxious 8-year-old like Gervais, it can almost be interpreted as a term of endearment.

Gervais, for his part, didn’t take offense. Instead, the slap-down was “probably what spurred me on. Cheers Nan.”

To rub it in his (presumably) dead relative’s face, Gervais posted a picture of a massive crowd from his current Armageddon Tour. Not sure if there’s X in heaven, hell or whatever limbo Nan exists in now, but Gervais’ message likely got through to her, inspiring deep shame over her doubts about L’il Ricky and his comedy dreams. In your face, Nan!

But who knows? Many rich superstars have died in the poorhouse, despite early success. Marvin Gaye, Judy Garland and Sammy Davis Jr. all reportedly passed away owing millions, despite playing before large crowds like the ones in the picture posted by Gervais. Fingers crossed, Nan, there might be hope for your prediction yet!