HUGH JACKMAN - GERVAIS HELPS OSCARS HOST HUGH JACKMAN WITH JOKES

GERVAIS HELPS OSCARS HOST HUGH JACKMAN WITH JOKES

Academy awards host Hugh Jackman has sought the help of Ricky Gervais to make his presenting as funny as possible this weekend.

The Office actor explained Jackman have been in regular phone contact to create jokes for the X-Men's actor's hosting of the Oscars on Sunday.

"He called me out of the blue a couple of weeks ago and now he just rings up and goes, 'Hi Rick, Hugh here'," Gervais told Radio 1's Newsbeat.

"And we just chat, he wants gags, he wants to be funny at the Oscars. And he is funny, I just riff and, you know, come up with stuff.

"I hope it goes down well. Yeah, Wolverine called me, I'm mates with Wolverine!" Gervais joked, in reference to Jackman's iconic comic book character.

However, the Ghost Town star said he will only admit to helping Jackman if the Australian is a hit at the awards ceremony.

"If they go, 'That wasn't funny', I'll go, 'Yeah, dunno who wrote those, it wasn't me'. So he's on his own."

While Jackman was voted People magazine's sexiest man alive in 2008, Gervais revealed he once received a less enviable accolade.

"Once I came top of a poll, 'man most women secretly fancy', which is basically saying they're ashamed of it. That's basically saying that, isn't it?" he asked.

"Like they'd have to get it out of them at interrogation. 'You fancy who?' 'Yeah.' 'Oh, I'm so sorry.' Yeah, unbelievable."