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08th Jan 2024

People call for Ricky Gervais to return for Golden Globes as this year’s opening monologue is booed

Charlie Herbert

People call for Ricky Gervais to return for Golden Globes as this year's opening monologue is booed

‘We need Ricky Gervais to host the Golden Globes again!’

People have called for Ricky Gervais to return as host of the Golden Globes after this year’s opening monologue was booed.

The 81st edition of the awards show took place on Sunday night and was hosted by comedian and actor Jo Koy.

One of the highlights of the night is the opening monologue of the show, performed by the host, which usually pokes fun at those in attendance whilst recapping the year in film and television.

However, it didn’t seem like Koy’s monologue went down particularly well, with both those at the ceremony and viewers at home.

A joke about Taylor Swift and her relationship with NFL star Travis Kelce drew a death glare from the popstar, whilst Koy’s digs at the Barbie movie also didn’t get the reaction he was probably hoping for.

Jo Koy’s jokes were not well received (Getty)

He joked: “Oppenheimer is based on a 721-page, Pulitzer Prize-winning book about the Manhattan Project.

“And Barbie is based on a plastic doll with big boobies.”

This prompted boos and jeers from some of the crowd, Rolling Stone reports.

As the atmosphere became increasingly awkward, Koy, who was a late appointment as host of the Golden Globes, defended himself, saying: “Yo, I got the gig 10 days ago! You want a perfect monologue? Yo, shut up.

“You’re kidding me, right? Slow down, I wrote some of these and they’re the ones you’re laughing at.”

After watching the opening monologue, many viewers were left reminiscing about the days when Ricky Gervais hosted the show.

The comedian hosted the awards five times and was loved by many for his no-holds-barred jokes. But his most famous moment came in January 2020 when he roasted all of Hollywood with a memorable opening monologue.

Following this year’s ceremony, his fans took to social media to plead with him to return as host.

One person wrote: “I think I speak for everyone when I say we need Ricky Gervais to host the Golden Globes again! Never forget his epic 2020 opening monologue.”

“Ricky Gervais should be the Golden Globes host every year. Honestly, he should host every awards show,” another said.

Someone else suggested that the planners of next year’s Golden Globes would be “begging Ricky Gervais to host again.”

And a fourth wrote: “Golden Globes – bring back Ricky Gervais as host, please and thank you.”

The Golden Globes was a successful night for Gervais, who picked up the first-ever award for Best Stand-Up Comedian on Television, for his controversial Netflix special Armageddon – although he wasn’t even at the awards ceremony.

But it doesn’t seem likely that we’ll be seeing him host the ceremony any time soon, as the comedian as repeatedly refused calls to return.

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