Turning Comedy Into Compassion
British comedian Ricky Gervais is donating £1.91 million ($2.4 million) to animal charities around the world. The donation comes from extra profits raised by selling platinum tickets for his hit Armageddon world tour.
In his trademark style, Gervais joked:
“I hope the dogs, cats, rhinos and monkeys invest this money wisely, because when my career goes tits up I’ll need it back.”
A Creative Way to Give Back
Since his 2017 Humanity tour, Gervais has sold premium tickets at a higher price than regular ones, donating the extra funds directly to charity. He also explained that this approach helps reduce ticket scalping:
“This way people willing to pay higher prices will at least know it’s going to charity instead of some scummy tout.”
11 Charities Sharing the £1.91 Million Donation
The funds will be distributed among 11 animal charities, ranging from large, established organizations to smaller sanctuaries in need of support.
The full list of recipients includes:
- All Dogs Matter
- Animal SOS Sri Lanka
- Catastrophes Cat Rescue
- Chaldon Animal Sanctuary
- Dogs On The Streets
- Helping Rhinos
- Millions of Friends
- Mira Dogs
- Paws2Rescue
- PDSA
- Wild Futures
These organizations span a range of missions, from rescuing street dogs and endangered rhinos to providing veterinary care and wildlife rehabilitation.
From Big to Small: Supporting All Animal Heroes
The beneficiaries represent both global charities and smaller sanctuaries. For instance, PDSA, the UK’s leading veterinary charity, reported an income of over £100 million last year, while Chaldon Animal Sanctuary operated on just £54,000.
Gervais’s donation helps bridge that gap, offering vital funding to groups of all sizes working to protect animals in need.
Record-Breaking Tour Success
The donation announcement comes just before the Netflix premiere of Armageddon on Christmas Day.
During the 85-date world tour, Gervais achieved a major milestone, entering the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest-grossing single stand-up show of all time, when his Hollywood Bowl performance earned £1.4 million in May.
He also broke attendance records for a British comedian and English-speaking comedy show in multiple countries, including the United States, Canada, Austria, Germany, Spain, Denmark, and Sweden.
Comedy That Makes a Difference
By combining humor with heart, Ricky Gervais continues to use his global platform to advocate for animal welfare, proving that laughter and compassion can go hand in hand.