Ricky Gervais Show, a podcast that has been available since December 2005 on Guardian Unlimited was awarded the Guinness World Record for the most downloaded podcast, gaining an average of 261,670 downloads per episode during its first month.

While Gervais admitted his show had a headstart compared to others because The Office is broadcast in 80 countries around the world, his show is one of the first podcasts of its type.

The record will be a contester for the 2007 edition of Guinness World Records, out in the autumn. Craig Glenday, editor of Guinness World Records says; “People say that there’s nothing new under the sun, that there’s nothing left to discover and no records left to be set. But this new podcasting achievement shows that there’s always scope for record breaking, and we’re pleased to welcome Ricky and his team to the Guinness World Records hall of fame. It’s got a certain ring to it: Amundsen, Armstrong, Hillary… Gervais.”

Sources: Media Guardian, RickyGervais.com.
Others: Podcast Statistics.

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