In an age where you can be fired for a misjudged joke tweet, Ricky Gervais has defended the right for comedians to be “offensive”.

“You've got to be allowed to say things that [potentially] everyone might find offensive,” he said while promoting new Netflix show Special Correspondents at the streaming service’s inaugural festival in Paris this week.

"I think offence is the collateral damage of freedom of speech. But just because you are offended doesn't mean you're right.

"The more famous you get, the more people love you and hate you. If you are doing anything that isn't anodyne and watered down, you are going to polarise - but it's good to polarise, because some people are smart and some people are f**king stupid."

Gervais has been about as polarising as any comic thanks to his Golden Globe hosting stints, but he’s developed a thick skin.