‘I’m Not Ricky Gervais’: Golden Globes Host Promises Celebs Won’t Be ‘Offended’ By Her Monologue

Comedian Nikki Glaser gave a preview of what she has planned for her Golden Globes monologue Sunday, explaining how she aims to entertain without truly offending the celebrities in attendance.

The 40-year-old stand-up performer gained attention for participating in a roast of Tom Brady that aired on Netflix last May.

“I am doing what I was hired to do, which is, I got this because of the Tom Brady roast. That is not lost on me,” Glaser told Yahoo Entertainment on Thursday. “So I’m going to bring that to this for sure. It’s not gonna be watered down, [but] the tone will be different for this.”

The comedian went on to compare her set to that of another Golden Globes host, who went viral in 2020 for mocking the audience beyond the typical Hollywood roast.

“I’m not gonna go so hard that anyone’s gonna be offended,” Glaser continued. “I’ve made a point not to, and that’s not to disappoint anyone who’s hoping I’m going to pull a Ricky Gervais. I’m not Ricky Gervais. This isn’t my last Golden Globes, this is my first one. He really went hard on his last one. He was ready to burn some bridges [because] it didn’t matter anymore.”

She went on to say that good-natured jokes allow stars to connect with their audience and “look cool.”

“Celebrities shouldn’t be nervous because it’s a great opportunity for them to look cool,” the stand-up comedian said. “People at home feel disconnected from celebrities. Although that’s a thing we like about them that we put them on these pedestals, we’re really looking for some humanity from them.” 

Glaser added, “And I would really encourage celebrities to just laugh at jokes about you. I know it sucks sometimes. … So if I make a joke about a bad movie you did once that you had nothing to do with, other than that you were great in a bad movie, just laugh. It’s a really easy way to look likable to the public and actually it’s a great PR move.”

She added, “Everyone in your camp should encourage you to laugh at jokes. It doesn’t make you cooler to not laugh. … I’m trying to make you look good. I really am not out to hurt anyone’s career.”

Glaser said she might dabble in the topic of politics but “will not be too heavy-handed” because “people are tired of hearing about it.”

The one topic she won’t discuss is the current drama between “It Ends With Us” co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. “…even a mere mention of it will seem like I could be on the wrong side of things, even though I would never be,” she said. “I also don’t want to give his name any — I’m mad I even know his name, to be honest with you, so I don’t need to say it anymore.”

“I just want to walk out there and make everyone feel like we’re in good hands because the host really does set the tone for the whole evening,” Glaser concluded. “The tone is celebratory, but also, let’s laugh about how ridiculous this is with the state of the world that we’re all dressed up and giving out awards for playing pretend. We have to acknowledge that that’s silly, even though it is amazing.”