Ricky Gervais has recalled how his rise to fame came after he was made redundant.

The 64-year-old TV star took to social media on Tuesday night to reflect on how his success resulted from a risky change in career. Gervais always had his heart set on becoming a comedian, so set himself a challenge after his radio career ended abruptly.

Alongside a throwback black and white photograph of himself, he wrote on X: "It's now 27 years since I was made redundant and given a few grand.

"I decided that if I was careful, I could live off the money for 6 months trying to become a comedian before I had to get another job."

Before his rise to fame, Gervais was an assistant events manager at the University of London Union. He also worked at alternative radio station Xfm, but in 1998, he was made redundant after the station was taken over by Capital Radio group.

Despite the career knockback in his late 30s, Gervais summoned up the courage to pursue his dream of making people laugh.

He continued in the post: "I was 37. Worth a punt."

The risk paid off and Gervais went on to enjoy mainstream success in 2001 with BBC comedy series The Office, which he also wrote with Stephen Merchant.

The star enjoyed further success with TV shows including Extras and After Life. He also appeared in movies such as Night at the Museum and Ghost Town and has hosted the Golden Globes Awards.