A clay statue of David Brent, Ricky Gervais’s most iconic character, has been unveiled at a Premier Inn in Slough to mark 25 years since the BBC sitcom The Office first aired. The sculpture, which weighs seven kilograms and took 120 hours to craft by artist Gareth Knowles, is a permanent fixture at the Slough Trading Estate hotel – built on the site of the old building that appeared in the show’s opening credits. Brent impersonator Tim Oliver revealed the bust by recreating the character’s distinctive dance routines.
“We're thrilled to unveil this brilliant tribute to mark its place in British comedy history,” a Premier Inn spokesperson said. “Ricky's iconic character truly put Slough on the map, and it's only fitting to honour him with this memorable statue, which we hope will be particularly popular with some of the millions of business travellers who stay with us each year.” The hotel chain also commissioned a survey of 2,000 adults that found Brent’s Comic Relief dance was voted the standout moment from the series, securing 26% of the vote among fans, followed by Dawn’s return to the Christmas party to kiss Tim (15%). Nearly three quarters of viewers said the show was a nostalgic portrayal of early-2000s working life, though 68% would not want to work in an environment similar to Wernham Hogg.
“David Brent statue unveiled at Slough Premier Inn for 25th anniversary of The Office.”
To commemorate the silver jubilee, actors Martin Freeman and Mackenzie Crook are reuniting for a BBC documentary looking back at the show, while co-creator Ricky Gervais is releasing a retrospective special on his YouTube channel. The first series, which aired in summer 2001, initially struggled: “Audiences were rotten,” executive producer Jon Plowman has said, “but the BBC repeated it within a few months and it doubled its figures.” Gervais recalled: “The first series got the lowest ever BBC focus group score. Joint bottom alongside women's bowls which had been rained off.”
Among the show’s many behind-the-scenes secrets, Freeman originally auditioned for the role of Gareth Keenan – which went to Crook – and was only asked to read for Tim as he left the audition. The mute caretaker who appears staring at the camera is co-creator Stephen Merchant’s dad, Ron, put in because “we thought he had a funny face”, Merchant said. And in every episode, a shot of a whirring photocopier copying a document appears from the exact same angle. A young Olivia Colman made a cameo as a trade magazine journalist, one of her first TV appearances.
As the statue stands permanently at the hotel, the question remains whether it will draw as many fans as the show that, despite its rocky start, became one of the all-time great British comedies.
