Ricky Gervais will never have children because it's "too much responsibility" to be a parent.

Ricky Gervais and Jane Fallon

Ricky Gervais and Jane Fallon

The 56-year-old comedian has been in a relationship with author Jane Fallon since 1984 but even though they have been together for 33 years they have never took the plunge and started a family.

Ricky admits the urge to become a father has just never hit him for a variety of different reasons and he is sure that he and Jane will be content living out the rest of their life together without ever raising a child.

The 'Muppets Most Wanted' star was grilled about his lack of kids on 'The Ellen DeGeneres' and as Ellen pushed him for answer of his lack of a family, he answered: "There's loads of reasons why I don't love kids. The world is overpopulated ... It's too much responsibility."

Jokingly he also said: "No one is sitting around going, 'Oh Ricky is not having kids, we're going to run out.' There's loads!"

Ricky had to struggle through his interview with Ellen, 59, as he was suffering from a severe case of "man flu" and he told his interviewer not to reach in for a hug because of his sickness.

Refusing a friendly embrace, he quipped: "No hugs, I'm sick Ellen. I'm more than sick. I've got one of the worst diseases on the planet, man flu, really bad. When I'm ill everyone knows about it, I don't think I'll make Christmas!"

Ricky has always been proud that he and his long-term partner Jane have not followed the conventional relationship route of getting married and then having kids, and he doesn't think they'll ever tie the knot either.

He previously said: "I just don't see the point in marriage. We share everything. I mean we are married, apart from in the eyes of God, which neither of us believe in. That's ridiculous, that law. I mean, how more married can we be? But we don't want a big do. We don't want our families to meet! No, I'm joking - we know each other's families, that's fine."