Academy Awards to forgo the host first time in three decades

After scrambling to find a replacement for actor and comedian Kevin Hart, this year’s Academy Awards ceremony will reportedly not feature a host for the first time in three decades.

According to Variety, the Oscars will take on a new format, with producers set to delegate the role of emcee to a selection of A-listers who will introduce various segments. The broadcast will also fill the void left by Hart with skits while relying heavily on music due to the success of films such as A Star Is Born, according to an insider.

The last time the evening had no host was during the 61st Academy Awards in March 1989, which began with a widely mocked musical number starring Rob Lowe and Snow White.

Hart, a previous Oscars presenter, stepped down as host of the Feb. 24 show on Dec. 6, days after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences selected him following a prolonged search amid declining ratings for the annual broadcast. The choice of Hart quickly came under fire, with critics noting the comedian’s previous tweets and jokes expressing homophobia.

Hart, pressured by the academy to formally apologise, initially offered a non-apology.

“I’m not going to continue to go back and tap into the days of old when I moved on, and I’m in a completely different space in my life,” Hart said in a video on Instagram. “I’m going to be me; I’m going to stand my ground.” Later that day, Hart quit – and apologised for the homophobic tweets. “I have made the choice to step down from hosting this year’s Oscar’s… this is because I do not want to be a distraction on a night that should be celebrated by so many amazing talented artists,” he wrote on Twitter. “I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past.”

The academy in early January reconsidered Hart, after a controversial campaign led by former Oscars host Ellen DeGeneres. DeGeneres, interviewing Hart on her talk show, said she had contacted the academy to advocate for Hart to host the awards show, and said she forgave Hart for his homophobic comments.

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