Ricky Gervais, absent from this year’s Golden Globe Awards, shared a series of scathing jokes he would have delivered had he been hosting. His imagined routine targeted several high-profile figures, including Sean “Diddy” Combs, Justin Timberlake, and the Hollywood elite, whom he satirized for alleged involvement in a “pedo ring.”
Gervais’s Twitter thread began with a wry observation: “Sat in the bath wondering about what I would say if I were hosting The Golden Globes on Sunday. It’s been a pretty good year for material.” He then launched into his fictional monologue, starting with a sardonic greeting: “Hello, and welcome to the 82nd Golden Globe awards. What a year it’s been.”
His jokes ranged from pointed barbs to darkly humorous observations. Regarding a supposed pilgrimage to the Vatican, he quipped, “Hundreds of entertainers jumped at the chance to meet The Pope. Many from Hollywood. Obviously they weren’t content with only being part of the 2nd biggest pedo ring in the world…” Another jab targeted Justin Timberlake’s past DUI arrest: “Justin Timberlake was convicted of Drink Driving. If he’d have gone to jail he’d have heard the words ‘Sexy Back’ a lot more often.” He also included a joke about Kevin Hart’s alleged discomfort at a Diddy party, culminating in Hart’s exasperated cry of “Imma Midget, not a child!”
This isn’t Gervais’s first foray into controversial Golden Globes commentary. In 2020, he famously lambasted Hollywood’s alleged complicity in overlooking Harvey Weinstein’s predatory behavior, labeling attendees as “perverts” and remarking on the prevalence of “pedophile movies” that year. He also referenced Jeffrey Epstein, stating that he “obviously didn’t kill himself.”
This year’s host, Nikki Glaser, expressed a contrasting approach in a Variety interview. Glaser acknowledged a sense of unease about the ceremony’s inherent nature, stating, “The way I feel about the Globes is like, what are we doing here? We’re treating this like you guys are all nominated for Nobel Prizes.” She also confessed to limitations in her ability to fully express her opinions of certain nominees.
The 2025 Golden Globe Awards aired on Sunday at 8:00 p.m. EST on CBS.