Ricky Gervais’ ‘After Life’ park bench vandalised

A Hampstead Heath bench, which was donated by Netflix and Ricky Gervais in conjunction with the comedy series After Life, has been vandalised.

The bench at the Heath is inscribed with the words “Hope is Everything”, a quote from the Netflix series which heavily focuses on the theme of mental health.

To mark the end of the series last year, mental health charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) partnered with Netflix to place 25 benches in parks across the country — each one with a QR code linking to CALM’s resources.

However, local writer Zoe Margolis, who says she always sit at the spot when visiting the Heath, described her shock after noticing that the bench’s plaque was missing on Sunday (October 15).

“Seeing the show’s motto ‘Hope is Everything’ carved into the bench must surely offer those who sit there a moment of peace in these troubled times – a chance to gather their thoughts or share them with other people,” she told Ham & High.

“I think it’s really sad the bench has been vandalised in this way, because it undermines the message of compassion and care. I do hope the plaque will be reinstated and that the bench continues to offer respite for those who need it.”

A spokesperson for the City of London Corporation said in a statement: “Vandalism is completely unacceptable on Hampstead Heath, and we have acted quickly to replace the plaque.”

Back in May, one of the other benches installed in Nottingham’s Arboretum to encourage people to talk about their problems was also vandalised, with Nottingham City Council calling it “unacceptable and heart-breaking” (via BBC News).

Gervais, who lives in Hampstead, said of the initial installation of the benches that he hopes they will “create a lasting legacy” for After Life.

In the series, Gervais plays a newspaper writer Tony Johnson who struggles with suicidal thoughts after his wife dies from breast cancer.

A bench in the graveyard where Tony meets with his fellow griever Anne (Penelope Wilton) plays a pivotal part in the show.

In NME‘s four-star review of After Life‘s final season, we wrote: “They don’t make television like After Life anymore. They don’t make them much like Ricky Gervais either.

“This, the third and final instalment of the polarising writer/actor/comedian’s Netflix dramedy about grief is unapologetically nasty, saccharine, lovely and poignant. It’s also often a bit of a mess, a little bit like life itself.”

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