Hollywood’s biggest night—the Oscars—is set to take place next month without a host for the first time in 30 years, after comedian Kevin Hart pulled out of the gig and no suitable replacement was found.
Though organizers have yet to confirm the plans, entertainment insiders say the show’s producers are forging ahead with preparations for the 91st Academy Awards on Feb. 24 with no emcee.
If all goes ahead, it would be the first ceremony without a host since the 1989 gala—one widely seen as one of the most embarrassing ever, featuring an infamous duet between actor Rob Lowe and… Snow White.
As gala organizers struggle to overcome a steady decline in viewership, many say the failure to find a host is actually good news.
“It’s a blessing in disguise,” Tim Gray, awards editor at entertainment magazine Variety, told AFP.
“People have been saying for years that the format—the same since 1953 —needs to change and they’re trying to cut down on running time. So personally, I think it’s a great idea not to have a host.”
Hart, who is currently starring opposite Bryan Cranston in The Upside, was named to host the Oscars in early December. But the backlash was swift—homophobic tweets he made several years ago reemerged, prompting an outcry on social media, and he withdrew just a few days later.
