Diane Morgan pays tribute to Ricky Gervais with sweet message ahead of new Netflix project: 'An honour!'

Diane Morgan has paid a heartfelt tribute to Ricky Gervais, revealing she would do "anything" for the comedian ahead of the release of their new Netflix animated series, Alley Cats.

The 50-year-old actress and comedian is set to reunite with Mr Gervais after starring in his hit series After Life.

Ms Morgan admitted she would even have made Mr Gervais sandwiches if he had asked, describing it as an "honour" to watch him work.

Mr Gervais is bringing his trademark satirical jokes to the world of animation with Alley Cats, a new adult animated series for Netflix.

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The six-part comedy, with each episode running 15 minutes, follows a band of foul-mouthed feral cats from across British society as they search for companionship while reflecting on the absurdities of modern life.

The 65-year-old comedian, best known for co-creating The Office, Extras and Life's Too Short with Stephen Merchant, has reunited much of the After Life cast for the project.

Joining Mr Gervais in voicing the profanity-laden feline characters are Ms Morgan, Jo Hartley, Tom Basden, David Earl, Kerry Godliman, Andrew Brooke and Natalie Cassidy.

Speaking about working with Mr Gervais again, Ms Morgan said: "If Ricky asked me to do anything, obviously I'd do it."

She continued: "I would have made sandwiches, to be honest."

Her character, Olive, whom the actress describes as "an idiot" and Mr Gervais's half-sister in the show, delivers cutting one-liners before disappearing from scenes.

Despite the innocent-looking feline animation, Ms Morgan warned viewers not to be fooled.

"I know you see the cats and you think, 'Oh, aren't they cute and lovely?' And they have these little adventures, and then they just open their mouths," she said.

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The improvised recording sessions also left a lasting impression on Ms Morgan, who said to PA: "It was just the whole thing was as sick as it could be."

Unlike most animated productions, the cast recorded together rather than separately, something Ms Morgan says made the experience even more enjoyable because of their long-standing friendships from After Life.

"It's basically the cast of After Life again, with a few new additions," she explained.

The actress reserved some of her warmest words for Mr Gervais himself, adding: "It's such a treat as well to be able to just sit there and listen to Ricky improvise.

"It feels like an honour... I have a private audience with Ricky and all these amazing comics."

Fellow After Life star Ms Hartley echoed the praise, describing the camaraderie between the cast as unlike anything else she had experienced.

She credited Mr Gervais for keeping spirits high on set, and that despite his experience, the comedian still laughs so much during recording that scenes often have to be retaken.

The update comes as Mr Gervais has revealed plans for what he describes as his most provocative stand-up tour to date, titled Legend, which will travel globally from September 2026 through to the end of 2027.

The comedian, renowned for pushing boundaries with his material, has secured a lucrative streaming arrangement with Netflix for the show, though the financial terms remain undisclosed.

"I'm not saying how much they're paying me this time, but I can say it's my favourite deal so far," Mr Gervais said.

The tour's name was chosen deliberately to provoke, according to the performer.

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