For 44 years, Ricky Gervais and Jane Fallon have done something Hollywood rarely manages to pull off: build a life together without ever needing a wedding ring to prove it. Now, at 65, Gervais says he may finally walk down the aisle, but romance is apparently nowhere near the top of the guest list. Instead, the comedian has a very British, very practical reason for finally making their decades-long partnership official.  

But the real twist sits in the numbers, because Gervais is not exactly trying to protect a modest nest egg.

Speaking to Saga Magazine, Ricky Gervais said he would marry Fallon specifically because of inheritance tax, despite having spent decades rejecting the idea of marriage. The couple, who are both 65, have been together since meeting while studying at University College London in 1982, and Gervais joked that they are already as married as two people can possibly be. He questioned the point of formalising a relationship after sharing their lives and finances for more than four decades, even quipping that some marriages do not survive a year while theirs has lasted 44.

“That will be the reason I marry. We haven’t done it yet,” he told Saga Magazine.

Apart from the Saga Magazine revelation, the tax issue, however, is very real. Under UK inheritance tax rules, assets passed between legally married spouses or civil partners are generally exempt from inheritance tax, while the same automatic spouse exemption does not apply to an unmarried partner. The standard inheritance tax rate is currently 40% on the portion of an estate above the applicable threshold, making the distinction potentially significant for a wealthy estate.

Gervais has an estimated fortune of around £141 million, while Fallon is estimated to be worth roughly £1.3 million, putting their combined reported wealth at about £142 million. Gervais also owns a substantial property portfolio, including a reported £14.75 million mansion in Hampstead, homes in Buckinghamshire and New York, and a recently approved plan for a new £5 million mansion in Marlow. With that kind of estate, inheritance planning can become considerably more complicated than simply deciding who gets the house.

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While their personal life suddenly has a very practical plot twist, Gervais himself is showing no signs of slowing down professionally either.

Gervais has just launched Alley Cats, his new adult animated Netflix comedy, which premiered globally on August 7, 2026. The six-episode series follows a group of foul-mouthed feral cats, with Gervais creating the show and voicing Gus, a cynical, overweight cat at the centre of the chaos. The project also reunites him with collaborators, including Tom Basden and other performers from his previous work, while Netflix has positioned the series as another major addition to his long-running relationship with the streamer.

Then comes Legend, Gervais’ next major stand-up tour, beginning in the UK in September 2026 before expanding internationally through 2027. Netflix has already acquired the rights to the tour, which is expected to be filmed toward the end of 2027 and become his fifth Netflix stand-up special. His previous tours, including Humanity, SuperNature, Armageddon, and Mortality, have all enjoyed major Netflix success, with Mortality also earning him a Golden Globe in 2026.

Thus, whether he and Jane Fallon actually make it official remains to be seen, but after four decades together, their unconventional relationship is hardly following anyone else’s rulebook. 

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What are your thoughts of Gervais getting married after 44 years of togetherness without a wedding? Let us know in the comments.