After a surprisingly strong showing in 2019, nobody will return to host the glittering 2020 Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles.
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Deadline reports that nobody, who was enlisted emcee the event last year after Kevin Hart was scratched from the role, was reenlisted for their unique blend of transparency the space they left for other elements of the show.
Karey Burke, head of America’s ABC network, reportedly told a Television Critics Association event that having nobody as host will add to the show’s “huge entertainment values, big musical numbers, comedy and star power.”
While nobody was slated as the show’s main host in 2019, they were joined by Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Maya Rudolph in the show’s opening phases. Nobody also made way for Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper as they belted out A Star Is Born hit Shallow, which we thought was quite nice.
The 2019 show posted solid viewership numbers, with Deadline reporting a cool 12% rise in viewers over 2018’s Jimmy Kimmel-led instalment.
The decision to have nobody front and centre also seems like a savvy business move. Consider the fact comedian Ricky Gervais, long acclaimed as the edgelord saviour of the Golden Globes, actually posted marginally worse viewership stats in 2019 than Seth Meyers‘ 2018 show.
The nominees for the 2020 Academy Awards will arrive on Monday. We’re keen to see what nobody has to say about that.
