Viewers spotted what they thought was a major editing fail

Ricky Gervais has denied using digital trickery in After Life, after viewers spotted a very peculiar scene in the new series.

Fans were taken aback by footage in the Netflix series in which Kerry Godliman's face appears to be digitally and rather clumsily super-imposed onto a body double swimming in a lake.

But after Chortle reported their concerns, Gervais responded on Twitter: ‘There are no effects. It’s real. Why would we need special effects?’

There are no effects. It’s real. Why would we need special effects?

— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) April 27, 2020

He also revealed that he filmed the scene himself, on his phone.

Fix what? It’s Kerry swimming in Hampstead pond. I filmed it on my phone.

— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) April 27, 2020

The scene comes at the start of the fifth episode of the recently launched second series, when Gervais's character Tony wistfully gazes out over a lake and imagines his late wife Lisa, played by Godliman, is swimming there.

The comic also said it was genuine footage, tweeting: 'It is me and my face swimming btw. It was fucking freezing. If @rickygervais could have superimposed my face on in post he kept it quiet

Producer Charlie Hanson also said claims that Godliman's face had been digitally added to a double were 'fake news!,' tweeting: '@KerryAGodliman is a very good swimmer, and this shot was filmed in mid September in the ponds on Hampstead Heath using @rickygervais iPhone. The iPhone uses auto exposure and it was a dull day, so her face looks overexposed against the dark water. End of scoop!'

The odd-looking editing was first spotted by comedy writer Sarah Sumeray, who pointed it out on Twitter, prompting many to say they thought the scene odd, too. Conspiracy theories include the coronavirus pandemic hastening the series to air before visual effects were fully complete, to Godliman being unable to swim.

Sumeray's tweet also prompted Tom Neenan on Twitter to point out some suspect looking gravestones from an earlier episode, too

Two real graves that are definitely always there, look there’s leaves near them. Proof. pic.twitter.com/L1CKxNfrX6

— Tom Neenan (@TNeenan) April 27, 2020

But many fans said they thought the shot looked peculiar:

I must admit, when I saw scene I thought it looked fake!! It baffled me to be honest!!

— Bernie Frasier (@BernieFrasier10) April 27, 2020

That's not even a deepfake. That's an incredibly shallow fake.

— Ned Hartley (@NedHartley) April 27, 2020

This jumped out at me at the time but I didn’t investigate. Wow not great

— Jack Cuthbert ⚽️ (@JackCuthbert) April 26, 2020

;

Hosting a Twitter livestream with fans last night, Gervais pledged that there would be a third series if After Life was still widely appreciated.

'I'd love to do a season three, it looks like it's going to go down a storm, so if this reaction carries on then yes' he said.

Published: 27 Apr 2020