Ricky Gervais will bring the laughs to the Golden Globes next year.

The English comedian and creator of The Office has been tapped to host the awards show, which hasn’t had a host since 1995.

“Not only is this the biggest Hollywood celebration of the industry, which includes both film and TV, but also an environment where I feel I can get free reign as a host,” says Gervais. “I have resisted many other offers like this, but there are just some things you don’t turn down.”

So what got him the job? It appears his crack on Kate Winslet at the last Golden Globes may have clinched it. After her win for The Reader, Gervais joked, “What did I tell you, Winslet — do a Holocaust movie, win an award.”

The 2010 Golden Globes will be telecast on January 17