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Ricky Gervais has received the Jane Goodall Award for Unwavering Advocacy for Animals.
The comedian accepted the award during The Hope Gala 2026 in London, UK. The inaugural event celebrated the life and legacy of Dr Jane Goodall, who passed away last year, and fundraised for the Jane Goodall Institute and Roots & Shoots.
Read more: Comedian Diane Morgan Says ‘Horrific’ Factory Farming Prompted Her To Go Vegan
During his acceptance speech, Gervais said, “Anything connected with Jane’s name is amazing, but the greater the honor, the more embarrassed I am to receive it. Because I know there are people who do so much more, you know? I do a bit. I tweet, I sign petitions, I give a bit of cash. What I don’t do is go and live with chimps for 40 years.” He added, “People who help animals are the best people.”
Gervais is vegan and well-known for his support for animals and frequent charitable donations. He gave nearly £2.5 million to animal charities out of the proceeds from his 2025 ‘Mortality’ tour, and £1.9 million from 2023’s ‘Armageddon.’
Vegan actor Peter Egan was also recognized at the gala and received the Jane Goodall Hope Award for his work as an animal rights campaigner. Egan co-starred with Gervais on the TV show Afterlife, and both are celebrity ambassadors for All Dogs Matter, a London-based dog rescue and rehoming charity.
Along with All Dogs Matter, Egan supports Saving Strays, a Bosnian street dog charity, as well as the Animals Asia Foundation, Animal Equality UK, Limbe Wildlife Centre in Cameroon, and Chaldon Animal Sanctuary in Surrey, UK.
‘You have to make them feel connected’
Goodall was a world-renowned primatologist, anthropologist, and conservationist. She challenged long-held beliefs about animals through her lifelong work with chimpanzees and helped shape how people think about animals and sentience.
“You don’t make people care by telling them something; you have to make them feel connected,” said Rosemary Reed, the trustee and strategic director of the Jane Goodall Institute UK. “And while we don’t have Jane physically anymore, we do have her energy, as well as a lot of people who were touched by her work.”
Gervais shared a photo of his award and wrote, “Thanks to The Jane Goodall Institute UK for my ‘Unwavering Advocacy for Animals’ Award. It’s going on the shelf!”
You can learn more about The Hope Gala here.
Read more: Jane Goodall, The Celebrated Primatologist Who Changed How We Think About Animals, Has Died
