Conan O’Brien has been announced as the host of next year’s Oscars.
The former late-night host and comedian will host for the first time after Jimmy Kimmel turned it down. The current late-night host had hosted four times, taking on the 2017 and 2018 ceremonies and then the most recent two.
“I did two years and it went well,” Kimmel said during a podcast earlier this year. ”I did another two years, it went well. I figured I’d take a little break.”
O’Brien was a late-night host between 1993 and 2010 and has more recently hosted the podcast Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend and the travel show Conan O’Brien Must Go.
“America demanded it and now it’s happening: Taco Bell’s new Cheesy Chalupa Supreme,” he said in a statement. “In other news, I’m hosting the Oscars.”
In a joint statement from the Academy CEO, Bill Kramer, and president, Janet Yang, the pair said they were “thrilled and honored” to have O’Brien hosting. “He is the perfect person to help lead our global celebration of film with his brilliant humor, his love of movies and his live TV expertise,” they said. “His remarkable ability to connect with audiences will bring viewers together to do what the Oscars do best – honor the spectacular films and film-makers of this year.”
O’Brien has previously hosted the Emmys in 2002 and 2006 and the MTV Movie Awards in 2014.
Recent reports had suggested that Deadpool & Wolverine pair Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman had been sought for the role. Reynolds recently reacted to rumours by telling Deadline: “One day I’d love to do that, I don’t know about this year, but one day, yeah.”
This year’s ceremony saw a four-year ratings high with 19.5 million people watching in the US. The big winner was Oppenheimer, which was awarded seven Oscars.
Favourites for next year’s ceremony include The Brutalist, Conclave, Anora and Emilia Pérez. The nominations will be announced on 17 January and the ceremony will take place on 2 March.
