Ricky Gervais Would Consider Hosting The Oscars… With Certain Conditions

Ricky Gervais hosted the Golden Globes in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, and 2020, which was also his final time hosting the Globes. “I don’t care anymore. I’m joking. I never did,” The Office and Extras creator said in his monologue, sounding like someone who cares. “NBC clearly don’t care either — fifth time. I mean, Kevin Hart was fired from the Oscars for some offensive tweets… Lucky for me, the Hollywood Foreign Press can barely speak English and they’ve no idea what Twitter is, so I got offered this gig by fax.”

Speaking of the Oscars, now that Pete Davidson is out, the Academy is looking for a host for the 2022 ceremony in March: would Gervais be interested if he was offered the gig Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager attempted to ask him that question on Today, but before they could finish speaking, Gervais started shaking his head.

“They’d never let me do what I wanted,” he said. “I mean that’s why the Globes got me. They said I could write my own jokes and say what I wanted, no rehearsals.” If the Oscars gave Gervais the same no-notes offer, “I’d do it,” he explained, “but that would never happen. I’d be canceled halfway through.”

Maybe Gervais and the Academy can reach a compromise: he won’t host, but he will reprise his role as Dominic Badguy from Muppets Most Wanted during the show. This is step one in my plan to get the Muppets to host the Oscars.

You can watch Gervais’ interview on Today here.