Humanity boosts RSPCA and cancer causes

Ricky Gervais has raised £200,000 for charity from sales of premium tickets for his stand-up tour Humanity.

The proceeds will be split equally between the RSPCA and Macmillan Cancer Support.

When Gervais offered the top-price tickets he said it was to stop ticket touts buying prime seats for personal profit, and instead use the fact that some fans were willing to pay inflated fees to boost good causes.

Platinum tickets for his Leeds First Direct Area show in December are priced £100 and £130. 

He said: ‘This scheme is taking back the thousands of pounds ticket touts make every year by giving this money to good causes instead, including great charities like the RSPCA and Macmillan Cancer Support here in the UK.

‘ It’s such a privilege that people will pay money to come and watch me perform stand-up, and I hope that fans across the world continue to recognise the positive impact that buying Platinum Tickets has on worthwhile causes." 

Yesterday, Chortle revealed that Gervais sold the rights to the stand-up show to Netflix in the biggest deal of its kind for a British comedian.

Humanity is running for 120 dates worldwide tour, including a recent three-week sold out run at London’s Eventim Apollo and further dates across the UK, Germany, Canada and the USA.

• Last night a charity comedy show organised by The Glee Club in Birmingham raised £7,000 for the city's Children’s Hospital. Joe Lycett, Britain's Got Talent finalist Daliso Chaponda,  2016 Chortle Student Comedy Award runner-up Rahul Kohli and Andy Robinson took part in the benefit. Chaponda joked: 'You have an African raising money for British children … so that’s payback.'

Published: 26 Oct 2017