Ricky Gervais fans have erupted in anger over the New Year Honours list (Image: Getty)

The New Year Honours list has sparked a fierce backlash from Ricky Gervais fans, with some raging online after learning that Chuckle Brothers star Paul Elliott has been awarded an MBE. Paul was added alongside a slew of famous names, including Actor Idris Elba and Olympic ice dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, while also recognising England’s victorious women’s football and rugby teams. Social media erupted after the honours were announced, with several users questioning how Elliott, known for his catchy phrase “from me, to you” had been recognised while Gervais was once again overlooked.

One angry fan wrote: “So apparently a Chuckle Brother has done more for British comedy than @rickygervais …what a f*****g joke.” That comment quickly drew pushback, with another replying: “Are you bad mouthing Paul and Barry here, pal!! Not on my watch!!” Others rushed to defend Gervais, with one posting: “I hope they offer him a knighthood and he turns them down flat.” Another added: “I would say @rickygervais does probably not give a single f**k ! You are, however, absolutely correct, sir !!

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

Elliott, right, was one half of the Chuckle Brothers alongside his late brother Barry (Image: PA)

But many fans were quick to point out that Elliott’s honour was not for comedy alone. One user wrote: “I think it was more for his charitable work with Marie Curie. I don’t think he got an MBE for saying ‘to me, to you’.”

Another argued the system itself was being misunderstood, posting: “It’s up to his fans to nominate him. Plenty of time for Ricky to be rewarded. Perhaps Paul’s charity work didn’t get as much attention, but it doesn’t make it any less worthy of recognition.”

One blunt response shut down the debate entirely, saying: “Oh! Do one! The Chuckle Brothers are great British comedy gold and have entertained countless children.

“They deserve their honour. Stop your ’whataboutary’. Tony, you’re a jealous man. I bet even Ricky would agree with me. Also, I doubt Ricky cares about Royal Honours as he’s just him.”

Elliott, 78, who was one half of the Chuckle Brothers alongside his late brother Barry, said discovering he was being made an MBE was “probably the best shock” of his life.

The duo became household names through ChuckleVision, which ran for nearly 300 episodes during the 1990s and 2000s, cementing their place in British comedy history.

Since Barry’s death from bone cancer at the age of 73 in 2018, Paul has devoted himself to charity work, becoming a prominent supporter and ambassador for Marie Curie, whose nurses cared for his brother at the end of his life.

He told the Press Association: “It’s absolutely brilliant. It’s such an honour, a lad from a council estate in Rotherham, and after all these years, getting an MBE is just such an honour. I’m very much a royalist.”

Explaining how his charity work began, he said: “I was just watching an advert for Marie Curie on the telly, and I just put on Twitter (now X) if everybody that followed me just paid £1 each to Marie Curie, that’d be a lot of money for them, £50,000.”

Upon receiving the letter confirming his MBE, he said: “It was just such a surprise. It was a wonderful feeling, absolutely wonderful feeling, saying Member of the Order of the British Empire, really exciting.”