Comedian Robin Ince became immediately anxious upon hearing Ricky Gervais’s laugh when he underwent a brain test, in an unearthed clip from a decade ago.
Robin claimed on Wednesday that fellow comedian Ricky’s backstage jeers at him took a physical toll on his health when they toured together.
And now a resurfaced video of Robin from 2014 shows him exhibiting ‘anxiety, avoidance and low mood’ at the sound of Ricky’s laugh.
Robin got fitted with an EEG – a device which records brain activity – at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability at the time to measure his neurological reaction to various audio stimuli.
And after being played songs by his favourite band and the musical stylings of his best friend, which both elicited positive feelings, hearing Ricky’s cackle showed a quick drop in Robin’s mood.
Comedian Robin Ince became immediately anxious upon hearing Ricky Gervais ‘s laugh when he underwent a brain test, in an unearthed clip from a decade ago – after he claimed on Wednesday that Ricky’s backstage jeers at him took a physical toll on his health when they toured together
Robin got with an EEG – which records brain activity – at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability in 2014 to measure his neurological reaction to various audio stimuli
In the video, Robin was first played a song by his favourite band: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, to which the EEG logged that he was feeling attraction or a pleasant mood – as well as finding him visualising positive memories.
In comparison, his brain activity dropped when listening to his least favourite band Lighthouse Family.
Next up was Robin’s friend Brian Cox’s old band D:REAM, during which he exhibited motor activity and it was picked up in his brain that he wanted to dance.
Finally, a recording of Ricky’s laugh was played to Robin – and immediately registered right frontal activity, signalling anxiety, avoidance and low mood.
The EEG also suggested he was internally acting out a physical activity, as though catapulting himself back to being on stage with Ricky at the time of the recording.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Mail revealed comedian Robin’s claims at the impact Ricky had on his health.
‘I look back now, and I think it is bullying, really it is,’ Robin claims. ‘I’m very good at sometimes just acclimatising to things, in which you go, ”Actually, this is really weird”.
‘But people who knew me did not like the way that relationship worked. I am not saying it is a traumatic experience, but after two weeks I came out in red lumps that my doctor said were a stress rash.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Mail revealed comedian Robin’s claims at the impact Ricky had on his health
‘I look back now, and I think it is bullying, really it is,’ Robin claims. ‘I’m very good at sometimes just acclimatising to things, in which you go, ”Actually, this is really weird”‘
And now a resurfaced video of Robin from 2014 shows him exhibiting ‘anxiety, avoidance and low’ mood at the sound of Ricky’s laugh
A recording of Ricky’s laugh was played to Robin – and immediately registered right frontal activity, signalling anxiety, avoidance and low mood
‘I think my hair is coming out in clumps.’
Speaking on The Starting Line podcast, Robin, 55, claims that Gervais’s ‘bullying’ became so bad his co-star in The Office Mackenzie Crook stepped in and confronted him about it.
Robin announced his retirement in 2015, saying he was ‘starting to go mad’ with self-doubt, insomnia and regret over not spending enough time with his family.
He remained friends with Ricky, 63, until 2022 when he wrote a blog post criticising him for making jokes about transgender people in his Netflix comedy special SuperNature.
‘It is easy to forget the collateral damage of jokes,’ Robin said.
Speaking on The Starting Line podcast, Robin, 55, claims that Gervais’s ‘bullying’ became so bad his co-star in The Office Mackenzie Crook stepped in and confronted him about it (pictured at National Television Awards 2022)
Robin announced his retirement in 2015, saying he was ‘starting to go mad’ with self-doubt, insomnia and regret over not spending enough time with his family
He remained friends with Ricky, 63, until 2022 when he wrote a blog post criticising him for making jokes about transgender people in his Netflix comedy special SuperNature
‘Anti-trans punchlines seem to have become highly profitable and it ignores the dehumanising effect on a swathe of already marginalised people,’ he wrote.
He then added: ‘I think Ricky believes it is just him being a “naughty boy”.
‘I believe it makes him a pin-up and role model for the alt-Right.’