The Office producer Ash Atalla admits he ‘sold a bit of himself’ when he let Ricky Gervais joke about his disability

Ash Atalla confessed that Ricky Gervais ‘sold a little’ when he allowed Gervais to joke about his disability at the British Comedy Awards in 2001.

The producer 53, who works with the comedian in the Office series 64, shared his regret to explain how he questioned whether he had the right to do this.

At the event, he accepted a reward for the office on the stage, while Ricky joked that Ash was the runner of the show, using a wheelchair.

He also referred to him as’ my little wheelchair friend ‘and told him that he was the same as Stephen Hawking, but without all smart things’.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island disks, Ash remembered how he suggested the joke, but since then he has re -evaluated the sketch.

He explained: ‘The people in the wheelchair were not on stage at the time. He launched the double action of this material on stage. ‘

Working with the comedian at Hit series The Office, the producer, 64, 64, now shared how he explained how he has questioned whether he had the right to do this (LR Ricky, Mackenzie Crook, Ash, Stephen Merchant and Martin Freeman 2004)

Ash continued: ‘I think when I look back, maybe I notice or I feel that I sell myself a little.

“ `I put the wheelchair in the front and center, because I knew it was something to separate me, in which case he separated me well.

‘And in recent years, as I thought, it has made me think if it has the right to do it.’

Speaking on stage at the time, Ricky joke: ‘This Ash, producer. He asked me to tell you that, so you didn’t think you won a contest.

Thank you very much for the British Comedy Awards. You did something great – look at his little face, not for me. ‘

Ash replied with a rough gesture and added Ricky: ‘He can’t help it.’

Previously, Ash admitted that Ricky’s repeated jokes about disability felt ‘a little disturbing’.

In the 2021 interview TimesAsh said that Ricky was not ‘disturbed’ from his at that time, but he felt different years later.

While accepting an award for the office on the stage together, Ricky jokes that he was the runner of the show using a wheelchair (depicted in 2004)

Ash continued: ‘I think when I looked back, maybe I notice or I feel that I sold myself a little … He made some kind of right to think about it’ (depicted in 2023)

He said: ‘I felt a little uncomfortable. Nineties such as Ricky Gervais, Jimmy Carr and Frankie Boyle with the game have a late comedy – see what you can escape with and see that you can later intellectualize.

ASH added: ‘These jokes did not bother me at the time, but if it were now.

‘I don’t let too many jokes be made about my wheelchair, I don’t want to be defined by it.’

Created by comedians Ricky and Stephen Merchant, Hit Mockumentary Sitcom office plays the famous Ricky Paper Boss David Brent.

Last month, THE BBC Five episodes were marked for ‘discriminatory language’ and slapped the beloved Sitcom with trigger warnings.

Both Naughties programs labeled a G symbol on the BBC IPlayer, marking parental guidance for young viewers.

However, almost half of the 14 episodes of the BBC Series after the life of Wernham Hogg’s Slough Office have additional content notification.

In the first series published in 2001, the first and last chapters – shrinkage and judicial – warning.

Meanwhile, half of the second series, released in 2002, was shot with trigger warnings – one, three and five episodes called merger, party and charity.

Hit Mockumentary Sitcom Office created by comedians Ricky and Stephen Merchant plays the famous Ricky Paper Company Boss David Brent

Now, the office, which is considered one of the best British sitcoms of all time, received a series of awards when he first hit our screens

The office, which is now considered one of the best British Sitcoms of all time, received a series of awards when it first hit our screens.

He won the Golden Globe for the best television series – in 2004, musical or comedy made him the first British comedy to take him home at the ceremony.

Ricky also took the best actor in the same year – the television series received a golden sphere for musical or comedy.

His success was equivalent to Steve Carell’s role in Ricky’s role in 2005, led to an American Spin-Off version.

The US program has moved to an impressive nine series and more than 200 sections that ended in 2013.