Wednesday 05 August 2026 5:12 am  |  Updated:  Tuesday 04 August 2026 11:42 am

David Brent was supposed to be a satire, now he looks like a model for political leaders

By: Tim Focas

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Attention-seeking, self-absorbed and desperate to be liked, David Brent was meant to embody everything a leader should not be – but today’s media landscape rewards the very qualities Ricky Gervais satirised, says Tim Focas

A Tiktok clip has gone viral for comparing Andy Burnham to David Brent. His cheesy mannerisms, dad dancing and guitar playing are all eerily reminiscent of the Ricky Gervais character that hit our screens 25 years ago. But Brent was supposed to be a satire, not a  blueprint for modern political communications. 

Back in the early 2000s, Gervais’s “character” was comedic gold because he embodied everything we were told a leader should not be – self-absorbed, painstakingly desperate for approval, and deludedly convinced of his own brilliance despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Yet somewhere along the way,........

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