Ricky Gervais has pleaded with Steve Carrell to return the Emmy he accepted on his behalf last year.

Gervais won the Best Actor award in 2007 but could not make the ceremony. Steve Carrell, who reprised Gervais’ role in the US remake of The Office picked up the award on his behalf.

Carell later revealed that he was holding the award hostage: “I’m not going to give it back to him. He wasn’t there to accept the Emmy. So what I figure is whoever is first up on stage should just take it.”

While presenting the award for Outstanding Directing for a Variety or Music Program at this year’s ceremony, Gervais begged Carrell to return his statue.

“He couldn’t actually win one of his own so he stole someone else’s. I don’t think that is the original Emmy, I think that’s a shoddy remake,” he joked. “I made you what you are and I get nothing back. Have you even been to see Ghost Town yet? I sat though Evan Almighty, give me my Emmy.”