The 25th anniversary of The Office has sparked a heated debate between fans and critics of the show's creators, Ricky Gervais and Stephen 'Smerch' Merchant.
Ricky, 65, marked the occasion by appearing in a YouTube video reacting to The 25 Greatest David Brent Moments, but his decision to avoid mentioning his former XFM radio sidekick and co-creator Steve has raised eyebrows.
In the 64-minute video, Ricky failed to mention Steve even once, leading many to accuse him of attempting to rewrite history.
One user wrote: 'The erasure of Steve is not a good look,' while another added: 'Give some credit to Stephen Merchant.' On Reddit, fans were equally vocal, with one user stating: 'The Merchant erasure is really mental at this point.'
The lack of acknowledgment has sparked speculation about a possible rift between the two comedians, who worked together on The Office, Extras, Life's Too Short, and co-presented An Idiot Abroad.
However, Steve has consistently denied any falling out with Ricky, stating they simply drifted apart creatively and started working on different projects.
Ricky, on the other hand, has told NME that he avoids talking about Steve and Karl Pilkington because he enjoys annoying fans, but denied any falling out.
The Office is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer, but the debate over the show's creators' past and present relationship continues to simmer.
