In Heat, Gervais also claims the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. asked him back because he'd given this year's Golden Globes ratings a boost -- though, truthfully, they were only up slightly from last year. And he also repeated the story he told Conan O'Brien: that he'd originally planned to open the Golden Globes by coming out dressed as Adolf Hitler, asking the gasping crowd, "Too Much?" and then apologizing in his own way: “That’s the last time I borrow a suit from Mel Gibson.”

Too much? Nah, not for Ricky. We expect he'll shock us again in three... two...

[Updated at 1:32 PM: It took less time than we thought! Gervais has clarified the situation on his blog: "You may also have read that I am hosting next year's Golden Globes. This is not true. Not yet anyway. 

The TV show organisers said they were happy with everything and asked me to not rule out a third gig. However, it is not entirely up to them. The Hollywood Foreign Press and various other committees need to meet and agree. I have no idea if they want me back again. It depends whether they care about fifty delicate egos in the room or the 200 million people watching at home who want a laugh. Also, even if they did want me back, at the moment I'm pretty sure I shouldn't do it. But I'll tell you this. If they do invite me back and I accept, I'm going to pull exactly the same ... again or even worse. 

Once again, everyone has been warned."

Of course, in the same post, Gervais also finds room to promote his Science Channel show "An Idiot Abroad" and link to (ahem) another defense of Ricky Gervais. Nice try Ricky, indeed.]

--Melissa Maerz