Ricky Gervais donates £2.5million to animal charities

Proceeds from premium tickets on his Mortality tour

Ricky Gervais has announced that he is donating almost £2.5million to animal charities from the proceeds of his Mortality stand-up tour.

The comic donates the extra profits he gets from the most expensive premium seats at his gigs to good causes, with a total of £2.43million ($3.23million) being shared across 22 charities from his latest tour.

Speaking of the donations, Gervais said: ‘My mum always used to say, "You can’t take it with you." No I can’t mum. But I could’ve bought 30 speedboats and raced ‘em round the Med with my mates, off our heads on weed and Bollinger. Anyway. Too late now.’

The donations top the £1.9million made from premium tickets from his previous tour, Armageddon.

Mortality played more than 80 arena shows, including the Hollywood Bowl, New York’s Radio City Music Hall, a 14 night-run at the London Palladium and three shows at OVO Wembley Arena.

Gervais’s donations come ahead of Mortality’s release on Netflix, where it will be available from December 30.

PDSA, International Animal Rescue, Sussex and London-based Celia Hammond Animal Trust and Animals Asia will each receive £150,000 with 17 charities, listed below, receiving £100,000. The remaining £132,000 will be donated to Nowzad, which provides animal welfare services in Afghanistan and Ukraine.

Charities receiving £100k

Libearty Sanctuary
Pangea
Wild Futures
All Dogs Matter
Dogs On The Streets
Paws2Rescue
Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home
Saving Strays
Chaldon Animal Sanctuary
Turgwe Hippo Trust
Safe Haven For Donkeys
Catastrophes Cat Rescue
Finding Shelter Animal Rescue
Flori’s Friends Animal Rescue
NYC Second Chance Rescue
Helping Rhinos
Retreat Animal Rescue