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The Rest Is Entertainment
The Rest Is Entertainment

The Richard Gere Gerbil Conspiracy

October 29, 2026 • 31m

Summary

⏱️ 7 min read

Overview

Richard Osman and Marina Hyde discuss various entertainment topics including Richard's upcoming Netflix show 'Beat Luke Littler,' Hollywood rumours (with a deep dive into the infamous Richard Gere gerbil story), the science of scary movies, and Kylie Jenner's controversial $50 million Victoria's Secret bra. They also explore near-disasters in film production and the business strategies behind celebrity stunts.

Beat Luke Littler: Netflix's High-Stakes Darts Gamble

Richard Osman explains the format of his new Netflix show where 20 amateur darts players compete for £501,000 by trying to beat world champion Luke Littler. The show's unique appeal lies in its unpredictability - if the first contestant wins, the entire format collapses after just minutes. The contestants range from highly-ranked players like Fallon Sherrock to 14-year-old prodigy Mitchell Laurie, all selected through rigorous auditions requiring them to finish from 501 in 24 darts or fewer. Richard believes mathematically someone will definitely win, though the pressure of throwing for half a million pounds may prove the ultimate test.

  • If any contestant beats Luke Littler, they immediately win £501,000 and the show essentially ends - this was Richard's condition for doing the show
  • Contestants were selected through auditions where they had to get down from 501 in 24 darts or under
  • Players include Fallon Sherrock (first female to win at Alexandra Palace) and 14-year-old Mitchell Laurie (future world number one)
  • The show airs live Friday night at 7pm on Netflix with Gary Lineker and Lee Mack
  • Netflix has a backup format if someone wins early, but it will be much shorter than planned
" I wanted to do it because it's sport and it has to be real. If the first person beats Luke Littler, they win £501,000. And that is it. That is that money gone. And that is, you know, 15 minutes of television for the price of three hours' worth of television. "
" Throwing one dart for half a million pounds. That's the only thing that makes me sort of hesitate in my judgment. But they are going to have to, in front of a big live audience, throw a single dart at a single double for £501,000. And is that humanly possible would be my question. "

Hollywood's Greatest Rumour: The Gerbil Story

Marina dives deep into one of Hollywood's most persistent urban legends - the Richard Gere gerbil rumour from the pre-internet era. This rumour, which allegedly originated from rivalry with Sylvester Stallone or retaliation from the Church of Scientology, became so pervasive that Gere was constantly asked about it in interviews. The Hollywood Reporter has just launched a 12-episode investigative podcast series called 'Gerbil' exploring how this unfounded story became culturally embedded to the point where the word 'gerbil' semantically maps directly to Richard Gere in people's minds.

  • The Richard Gere gerbil rumour spread widely in the pre-internet era, with Gere being constantly questioned about it in interviews
  • Possible origins include rivalry with Sylvester Stallone during Lords of Flatbush filming or retaliation from the Church of Scientology
  • The Hollywood Reporter has released a 12-episode podcast series investigating this single rumour
  • Other classic Hollywood rumours include Walt Disney being cryogenically frozen and Stanley Kubrick filming the moon landings
" If anyone says the word gerbil, it's bizarre. There is an actual semantic mapping in people's head with the idea of our generation. You would be thinking of Richard Gere within a nanosecond. "
" I love it when someone brings proper investigative reporting to something that would have had very high stakes for Richard Gere but culturally in some ways it feels like it has no stakes for our culture. "

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