Jimmy Kimmel has told Wanda Sykes she is being “robbed” over her fee for hosting this Sunday’s Oscars.
Sykes is one of three main hosts for this year’s ceremony, alongside Amy Schumer and Regina Hall.
During an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Kimmel asked Sykes if she would say how much she’s getting paid for the high-profile job.
Sykes replied: “I don’t even know. It’s like scale, probably.” “Scale” is the minimum wage set by the Screen Actors Guild.
Kimmel then told her: “It’s less than that. I got paid $15,000 to host the Oscars, and there’s one of me. You guys are probably gonna have to split all that! It sounds like a lot for one night, but it’s months of work leading up to it.”
Kimmel, who hosted the awards in 2017 and 2018, added: “You’re getting robbed. You know what? Hold out right now, because they need hosts!”
Sykes then revealed she already had a plan to top up her fee. “I’ve already decided, I’m just going to steal an Oscar,” she joked.
This year will be the first time in three years that the Oscars has had a proper host. In the years since Kimmel’s last turn, the ceremony has relied on the awards presenters to carry the show.
The Academy Awards takes place this Sunday 27 March.
In the US, viewers will be able to watch the Oscars on ABC. In the UK, it will be available to watch for Sky Cinema subscribers on the temporary dedicated channel Sky Cinema Oscars.
