Ricky Gervais has suggested the reason he wasn’t invited to present this year’s Oscars was because of his controversial speech made last year’s Golden Globes awards.
The comedian and actor has presented the Globes ceremony on five occasions, making headlines for several jokes deemed too inappropriate for some attendees and viewers.
He’s never been asked to front the Academy Awards despite saying he would love to do it (“it would be carnage“), and reiterated that snub yesterday (April 26) ahead of the 2021 ceremony, writing: “It’s The Oscars tonight! I wasn’t invited. Was it something I said?”
It’s The Oscars tonight! I wasn’t invited. Was it something I said?
pic.twitter.com/P87Uau4D9u
— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) April 25, 2021
Along with those comments he shared a clip of his 2020 Golden Globes speech. In the video from last January, Gervais begins his speech by saying: “You’ll be pleased to know this is the last time I’m hosting these awards. I don’t care anymore. I’m joking. I never did.”
Elsewhere in the speech he takes aim at several A-list celebrities in the room. “Talking of all you perverts, it was a big year for paedophile movies. Surviving R Kelly, Leaving Neverland… The Two Popes“, before saying: “Shut up, I don’t care.”
This year’s Academy Awards ceremony was led by numerous hosts in different locations for the first time in order to run the event safely during the pandemic and minimise the amount of virtual appearances. Nominees were asked to attend across various venues.
Nomadland dominated the awards, winning Best Picture and bagging Chloé Zhao’s the Best Director gong. The film’s actress Frances McDormand also won.
Zhao made history alongside Minari actress Yuh-jung Youn at the ceremony; Zhao is the first woman of colour, and only second woman ever, to win the Best Director award, while Yuh-jung Youn became the first Korean actor to win an Oscar.
See the full list of winners here.
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