Ricky Gervais left The One Show viewers in sтιтches on Monday evening, as he made a cheeky jab at fellow guest Bob Geldof.

The comedian, 63, employed some of his usual acerbic wit to target the musician, 73, and received a frosty response back.

Ricky was telling hosts Alex Jones and Angellica Bell about how he got his start in comedy, but couldn’t resist taking the opportunity to poke fun at Bob’s looks.

The Office star said: ‘The funniest people you know aren’t a professional comedian, they’re they’re your grandad or your mate, because you’ve got that knowledge of them.

‘And I was always mucking around, I was always cheeky at school. It was just that I didn’t think it was a possible vocation until I was about, I think about 37.

‘I was made redundant and I said I give myself six months to give this a go and it sort of worked out.’

Ricky Gervais left The One Show viewers in sтιтches on Monday evening, as he made a cheeky jab at fellow guest Bob Geldof 

The comedian, 63, employed some of his usual acerbic wit to target the musician, 73, and received a frosty response back

Ricky was telling hosts Alex Jones and Angellica Bell about how he got his start in comedy, but couldn’t resist taking the opportunity to poke fun at Bob’s looks

Ricky added: ‘I mean I could be sleeping in a car now you know what I mean?’ before pointing at Bob and quipping: ‘Like him. But it all worked out well.’

As a shocked Angellica put her face in her hands, Bob pointedly gave Ricky an icy glare, causing the actor to burst into laughter.

Chuckling, he patted the Boomtown Rats star on the knee, and joked: ‘It’s scary when he looks at me like that. He’s got a lot power this man.’

Fans watching the scene at home were in hysterics over the funny moment, taking to social media to comment on Bob’s reaction, saying he did not look ‘impressed’ nor ‘amused’.

They wrote: ‘Ricky Gervais is getting it after this. Bob Geldof does not look amused; He just says what he’s thinking. So funny I was belly laughing’

‘Bob looks miffed, if looks could kill; Ricky G tells the truth with a side of humour, how can you not respect that. He’s absolutely hilarious.

‘Geldof’s face. Just imagine coming to a TV programme unsuspectingly and meeting Gervais. Final boss; Don’t wind Geldof up….on a Monday !!!’

‘Comedy genius. I watched this tonight and they both had a great dynamic. I’d expect them to be involved in something together in the near future; He’s so cheeky, isn’t he?!’

Ricky added: ‘I mean I could be sleeping in a car now you know what I mean?’ before pointing at Bob and quipping: ‘Like him. But it all worked out well’

Bob pointedly gave Ricky an icy glare, causing the actor to burst into laughter and pat him on the knee, while joking: ‘It’s scary when he looks at me like that. He’s got a lot power this man’

‘Brilliant – Bob wasn’t happy; Bob weren’t impressed, Love it from Ricky Gervais; Now I can see why he doesn’t like Mondays!’

‘His face! He didn’t find that remotely funny; Classic. Made me chuckle; Love or hate Ricky Gervais, this dig at Bob Geldof is gold.’

It comes after Bob revealed he has reached out to Ed Sheeran over criticisms aimed at the new Band Aid charity single – but is still waiting for a chat.

The co-writer of Do They Know It’s Christmas? told how he had put in a call to the Shape Of You popstar who has spoken out against a 40th anniversary rerecording.

Ed, 33, announced last week he would have preferred his vocal contributions from a 2014 recording were not used on the new version released this week.

Bob has also been defending the song against criticism that it fuels ‘pity rather than partnership’ while promoting harmful stereotypes about Africa.

Fellow musicians have turned on Ed in the escalating controversy, with Spandau Ballet’s Tony Hadley telling him to ‘shut up’ – but Bob today suggested he wanted a more amicable ‘debate’ with the younger star.

Trevor Horn, producer of the fresh 40th anniversary version having previously performed the same role in 1984 for the original single, has also now responded to Ed after his Instagram comments last week.

Fans watching the scene at home were in hysterics over the funny moment, taking to social media to comment on Bob’s reaction, saying he did not look ‘impressed’ nor ‘amused’

A devastating famine in Ethiopia inspired Bob to launch Band Aid in 1984, writing Do They Know It’s Christmas? alongside Ultravox frontman Midge Ure and then organise the fundraising Live Aid concerts staged in July 1985. 

But the song has been accused of fuelling ‘pity rather than partnership’ while promoting harmful stereotypes about Africa. 

And Ethiopia’s prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, has condemned the anniversary rerelease for focusing memories again on Ethiopia’s dark days when more than 1million people starved.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner accepted that the original 1984 single was ‘well meaning at the time’ but blamed it for perpetuating what he called ‘reductionist and dehumanising narratives’. 

Ed revealed last week his unhappiness about his vocals being used in the new rerecording which is being officially made available this Friday.

He said he would have ‘respectfully declined’ permission for re-use of his contribution to the 30th anniversary production from 2014 – while other critics in the past have included Lily Allen and Damon Albarn. 

Ed revealed how his concerns about the song followed points made by his friend Fuse ODG, a London-born Ghanaian-English rapper. 

Fuse ODG – real name Nana Richard Abiona – spoke out last week, as he released a response called We Know It’s Christmas and urged the BBC not to promote the song.

It comes after Bob revealed he has reached out to Ed Sheeran over criticisms aimed at the new Band Aid charity single – but is still waiting for a chat (pictured at 2014 recording) 

Ed, 33, announced last week he would have preferred his vocal contributions from a 2014 recording were not used on the new version released this week (pictured in May) 

Ethiopia’s prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, has condemned the anniversary rerelease for focusing memories again on Ethiopia’s dark days when more than 1million people starved (pictured 2018)

Ed originally featured on the 2014 version of the track alongside the likes of Sting and Harry Styles which aimed to raise money for the Ebola relief efforts.

Taking to his Instagram stories on Sunday last week, Ed posted: ‘My approval wasn’t sought on this new Band Aid 40 release and had I had the choice I would have respectfully declined the use of my vocals.

‘A decade on and my understanding of the narrative ᴀssociated with this has changed, eloquently explained by @fuseodg. This is just my personal stance, I’m hoping it’s a forward-looking one. Love to all x.’

Fuse ODG himself rejected an offer to take part in the 2014 version of Do They Know It’s Christmas? on which Ed featured.

The rapper wrote on his Facebook page last week: ‘Ten years ago today, I said NO to Bob Geldof’s Band Aid – Do They Know It’s Christmas project due to the fact it’s a campaign that dehumanises Africans and destroys our pride and idenтιтy in the name of ‘charity’.’

But on Tuesday’s Lorraine, Bob said he was happy to debate with Ed while also promoting the impact the single with its fundraising power provides for humanitarian disaster victims still starving.

When asked by host Lorraine Kelly whether he found criticism of Band Aid ‘irksome’, Bob insisted: ‘No, genuinely not.

‘The necessary part of this is that opinions have changed over the years. Sentiment changes, sensibility changes, opinion changes over 40 years – and that’s correct, you can’t stay static.

London-born Ghanaian musician Fuse ODG has spoken out against the Band Aid charity single Do They Know It’s Christmas?, accusing the song of ‘dehumanising’ African people

But on Tuesday’s Lorraine, Bob said he was happy to debate with Ed while also promoting the impact the single with its fundraising power provides for humanitarian disaster victims still starving 

‘You’ve got to find different ways of combating these issues and different ways of talking about them and what we’re celebrating here is – none of these arguments would get any oxygen if Band Aid didn’t come out.

‘Ed says, ‘This is what I feel now’. I’ve put in the call – he’s a really lovely man, he’s an intelligent guy, he’s a major artist and we’ll have a chat and either agree or disagree but we talk about it.

‘The debate must be made and it means we can argue our point of view even more strongly – so that’s where I’m at with this.’

Bob went on to urge people to purchase the new release and help back Band Aid’s work providing much-needed food and relief for people, adding: ‘It’s really simple for me – there’s a hungry child and there’s a meal and this record interposes them. If you love the song, buy it.

‘It’s a little piece of rock and roll history, buy it just for that, but understand – genuinely understand – that the moment you get this record you’ve interposed your himself between that meal and that hungry child.

‘And I swear to you, I swear to you, that money you’ve spent on that track will go to that meal and will go to that child and they will go to bed tonight or tomorrow more protected and able to maybe give them back their dignity, give them back their agency, get back on their feet and hopefully start their journey back too.’