Jimmy Kimmel will return as host of the Oscars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said on Monday. It will mark the third time the late-night comedian has hosted the event.
“Being invited to host the Oscars for a third time is either a great honor or a trap,” Kimmel joked in a statement. “Either way, I am grateful to the Academy for asking me so quickly after everyone good said no.”
Kimmel, 54, hosted the award show in 2017 and 2018.
The show’s producers, Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner, responded enthusiastically to the news.
“We’re super thrilled to have Jimmy score his hat trick on this global stage,” Weiss and Kirshner said in a statement. “We know he will be funny and ready for anything!”
Weiss and Kirshner were recently announced as the show’s producers. This move came after last year’s program saw poor ratings and Will Smith’s slapping incident.
The Academy’s chief executive Bill Kramer, and its president Janet Yang, commented on the news in a joint statement.
“With Kimmel, Weiss and Kirshner’s fresh perspective and masterful guidance, the Oscars will celebrate its rich 95-year history, the collaborative nature of moviemaking and our diverse, dynamic and deeply creative community of filmmakers,” Kramer and Yang said.
Craig Erwich, president of ABC Entertainment, Hulu & Disney Branded Television Streaming Original, also praised the news.
“Having Jimmy Kimmel return to host the Oscars is a dream come true,” Erwich said in a statement. “As we see every night on his own show, Jimmy can handle anything with both heart and humor, and we know that he will deliver the laughs and celebratory moments that define the Oscars.”
The 2022 ceremony was hosted by Regina Hall, Wanda Sykes and Amy Schumer. The event drew 16.6 million viewers, the second-least watched Oscars ceremony in recorded history. There were 10 million viewers in the 2021 Academy Awards, which were hurt by the pandemic.
