Ricky Gervais leaves fans divided with latest vodka billboard poking fun at London Marathon runners

Lydia Davies
Sun, 26 Apr 2026 23:34:19 +0000

Ricky Gervais has sparked fresh debate over the placement of one of his vodka brand billboards during the London Marathon.

The comedian took to Instagram during Sunday’s race to share an image of one of his Dutch Barn adverts displayed along the marathon route.

A slogan read: “Remember: Being healthy is basically dying as slowly as possible.”

Captioning the post, Mr Gervais wrote: “Inspirational. Please subscribe to our mailing list at dutchbarn.com.”

TRENDING

Stories

Videos

Your Say

The post quickly attracted a wave of reactions, with many followers praising the comic’s signature dark humour.

“Love it and excellent work,” one fan wrote, while another added: “Haha brilliant.”

"I have always said that… they just prolong the misery," joked a third fan.

Others, however, were less impressed, with one critic commenting: “Not funny anymore honestly.”

Another user suggested: “I believe it’s about balance. Exercise moderately, but also eat and drink moderately. Overdoing either isn’t good in my opinion.”

The post comes as thousands of runners took to the streets of the capital for the 2026 London Marathon, with a host of celebrities also taking part.

British stars including Cynthia Erivo, Ben Shephard, Joe Wicks and Sir Alastair Cook were among the high-profile names to complete the gruelling 26.2-mile course.

Former Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel also impressed with a sub-three-hour finish, while ex-Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey completed his debut marathon in just over three hours.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

Gordon Ramsay pens adorable message to daughter as celeb praise floods in after London Marathon

British celebrities out in force at London Marathon as stars battle brutal course

Erika Kirk spotted in floods of tears after Washington shooting

Other well-known faces on the course included James Norton, Alexandra Burke, Jack O’Connell and Spencer Matthews, all running for various charitable causes.

Strictly Come Dancing professional Nikita Kuzmin also took part, crossing the finish line after more than four hours on the course.

The event, now in its 46th year, saw around 60,000 participants run from Blackheath to The Mall, cheered on by huge crowds lining the streets.

Temperatures climbed into the high teens as runners pushed through the final miles, with many raising money for charities across the UK.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais)

Mr Gervais’ Dutch Barn vodka brand has become known for its provocative and often controversial slogans.

The comedian has previously claimed a number of his billboard ideas were rejected by advertising bodies - as well as Transport for London - prompting him to share them directly with fans online instead.

Reacting in 2024 to a complaint on social media by Mr Gervais about one of the bans, a TfL spokesman said: “We did not reject this advert.

"This creative was declined by our advertising partner based on feedback from the Committees of Advertising Practice.

"The client has resubmitted a new creative, which was approved by our advertising partner and is now running across our network."

But after the latest rejection, Mr Gervais wrote on X: "I am f***ing sick and tired of the powers that be banning my f***ing billboards and adverts for Dutch Barn."