Ash Atalla regrets moment Ricky Gervais mocked his disability onstage

Ash Atalla acknowledged that he "sold a bit of himself" by allowing Ricky Gervais to make fun of his disability at the British Comedy Awards in 2001.

The 53-year-old producer, who costarred with the 64-year-old comedian on the popular television show The Office, expressed regret, saying he now wonders if he was "right to do that."

Ricky joked that Ash, who uses a wheelchair, was the show's runner while they were on stage together to accept an award for The Office.

In addition, he called him "my little wheelchair friend" and made the joke that he was "just the same as Stephen Hawking, but without all the clever stuff."

In an interview with BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, Ash recalled how he had originally proposed the joke but later changed his mind about the skit.

"Back then, wheelchair users weren't on stages," he clarified. That marked the beginning of the their double act on stage.

"I think when I look back on it, maybe I realis, or I feel like I sold a bit of myself in that moment," Ash went on.

Why was The Office UK cancelled?

The Office UK wasn’t cancelled; Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant ended it after two seasons to keep the story concise and avoid dragging it out.

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