Ricky Gervais has talked about exchanging emails with David Bowie shortly before his death. Despite regular communication Bowie did not reveal how ill he was. "He must have known. He kept it from everyone," said Gervais.

Gervais was talking to Colin Paterson on Radio 5 to promote his new Netflix movie, Special Correspondents.

At the start of the year Gervais emailed David Bowie to say he loved his new album and Bowie sent back a funny email.

Gervais added: "He was an amazing man. It was something for him and his family. Dignity to the end. And amazing work to the end."

Gervais and Bowie had become friends because Bowie was a fan of The Office. Bowie wrote to him at the time and said "I watched The Office. I laughed. What do I do now?" He later went on to have a memorable cameo in Extras.

Talking about David Brent Gervais explained how in the new movie Life on the Road Brent has cashed in his pension to pursue his rock dream. "And as you can imagine it doesn't go well....It's 90 minutes of laughing at a man having a breakdown." 

He also confirmed that he has the itch to return to stand-up again and is doing two secret gigs in May. "It's fun doing nonsense to 10,000 people." He said that the low-key gigs will be close to his house. But he didn't say which house.

Special Correspondents is released on Netflix on April 29.