The search for a host for the upcoming Golden Globes ceremony has hit a roadblock, with several A-list comedians declining offers to emcee the event. CNN has learned that Chris Rock and Ali Wong are among those who have turned down the opportunity to host the January 7 ceremony. Rock, who was also asked to host the previous Golden Globes, last attended a major award show in 2022 when he was famously slapped at the Oscars by Will Smith.
Will Arnett, Sean Hayes, and Jason Bateman, who co-host the podcast “SmartLess,” also declined a joint offer to emcee the Globes, marking the first time the Globes had three hosts since 1993.
There’s little hope that Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, who co-hosted the Globes four times to critical acclaim, would return. A source close to Poehler and Fey told CNN this week that “They would never do it (again). They’re done.”
While a host for the weeks-away Globes remains in question, the Beverly Hilton ballroom could feature appearances by likely nominees Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert DeNiro, Martin Scorsese, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Meryl Streep, Selena Gomez, Emma Stone, Natalie Portman, Jennifer Aniston, and Quinta Brunson.
The Golden Globes are also still working to overcome a scandal that surfaced in 2021. The lack of Black members within the Hollywood Foreign Press Association was documented by the Los Angeles Times, and the event faced potential ethical transgressions related to the influence of its roster of international journalists. The HFPA has since been disbanded, and the Golden Globes has new ownership with Dick Clark Productions and Eldridge Industries acquiring the show.
The upcoming Golden Globes ceremony on CBS hopes to bring glitz, glamour, and celebration back to Hollywood after a difficult year of production shutdowns. The event could probably use the help of a big-name host to improve on the second-lowest ratings of all time from the previous Globes.