Advertisement

Ricky Gervais has waded into the Farage milkshake row

Ricky Gervais attends a screening of Netflix's "After Life" at the Paley Center for Media on Thursday, March 7, 2019, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Ricky Gervais attends a screening of Netflix's "After Life" at the Paley Center for Media on Thursday, March 7, 2019, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Ricky Gervais has condemned the man who threw milkshake at Nigel Farage saying he “deserves a smack in the mouth”.

The Office star claimed Paul Crowther - who has been charged with common assault and criminal damage after a milkshake was thrown over the leader of the Brexit Party in Newcastle - was not demonstrating a good political argument.

Read more: Wave of milkshake-tossing protests hits Britain

TV presenter Gary Lineker has backed the comedian’s opinion ahead of the European Parliamentary elections, which take place today.

Gervais, 57, tweeted: “I voted remain. I would still like to stay in Europe. I will argue with people who disagree me, always respecting their right to do so. What I won't do is throw things at them. That would mean I had run out of good arguments. It would also mean I deserve a smack in the mouth.”

The After Life star insisted that just because people had found it funny to see Farage doused with milkshake, did not make it right.

Crowther said of his actions: “It’s a right of protest against people like [Farage].”

On Wednesday it was reported Farage had been ‘trapped’ on a bus in Kent because of three young men wearing balaclavas who were “holding milkshakes”.

But the former UKIP leader insisted that he was not cowering on his campaign bus to avoid being pelted by milkshakes from the protestors outside.

Read more: 'After Life' viewers criticise Ricky Gervais for 'lazy' use of old jokes

A spokesman for Farage said: “Nigel did media interviews on top of the campaign open-top bus and then got off to mix with supporters afterwards, taking photographs and signing boards.

“Suggestions that he hid on board the bus are simply not true.”