Ricky Gervais; Stephen Merchant

This portraitback to top

Reading-born writer and performer, Gervais launched his radio career in 1997 on London's Xfm. His first television appearance was on the 11 O'Clock Show (1998). Gervais rose to fame in 2001 with his character David Brent in the award-winning comedy The Office, which he wrote and directed with Stephen Merchant.
The duo went on to collaborate on Extras and The Ricky Gervais Show. Merchant and Gervais recently starred in the BBC TV series Life's Too Short alongside Warwick Davies.

Events of 2005back to top

Current affairs

London suffers its worst bomb attack since the Second World War when four devices are detonated during rush hour on public transport. Three of the bombs went off on tube trains, and one on a bus killing 56 people and injuring 700. A Leeds-based terror cell of British born or raised Islamic extremists committed the attacks.
John Sentamu becomes the first black Archbishop of the Church of England.

Art and science

As part of the international Make Poverty History campaign, ten Live 8 concerts are held simultaneously around the world to coincide with the meeting of the G8 and persuade the world's richest countries to 'drop the debt' owed by the world's poorest countries, increase aid to the world's poorest people and negotiate fairer international trade rules.

International

1,836 die in America as a result of Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent flooding. The hurricane was the most costly in US history and one of the most deadly. It caused the levees of Lake Pontchartrain to break, which flooded 80% of New Orleans. About one million people evacuated the city while 25,000 stayed behind, many taking refuge in the city's Superdome.

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