The role played by Keith Chegwin in the first episode of the second series of Extras was originally to be played by ventriloquist Keith Harris (of Orville fame). However, according to reports, Harris turned the role down saying Gervais was asking him to spout racist language: "He wanted me to be a racist bigot, I would have had to say things like: 'Is the BBC still run by Jews and homosexuals?'. I thought that wasn't clever writing, it was pure filth. So I turned it down."