Melissa Rivers defends 2024 Golden Globes host Jo Koy
Melissa Rivers defended the 2024 Golden Globes host Jo Koy after the comedian received less than favorable reviews.
“That was not justified,” Rivers, 55, said exclusively We weekly on Monday, Jan. 8, about the lack of love Koy, 52, received for his hosting debut. “Anyone who knows these shows knows that the hosts prepare for months and they have a team of writers. He was only hired ten days ago.”
Koy was announced as host on December 21 after a long search. Rivers added that she thinks because Koy was an “unknown” to much of the audience, the audience decided “they’re not going to laugh.”
“A lot of the material was, I wouldn’t say his strongest, but strong enough to get a laugh and no one was offended,” she continued. “I just think the room decided they weren’t going to have any fun.”
Rivers mentioned a few moments where she felt they earned laughs, including a joke Oppenheimer and one about the NFL’s extensive coverage of Taylor Swift since dating Kansas City Chiefs Travis Kelce.
“It was all about the NFL,” Rivers said of the joke. “And it was actually a great reference, because every football fan has become so oversaturated, because even the NFL is saying on Instagram, ‘Taylor Swift has arrived at the stadium,’ and I love that she’s happy.”
Melissa Rivers, Jo Koy
Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for MGM; Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Moët & ChandonAfter Koy made the comment about Swift, 34, on Sunday, the camera panned to the “Karma” singer, who had a less-than-amused expression on her face and took a sip of her drink. Although Swift didn’t seem to enjoy being the butt of the joke, Rivers called the dig “harmless.”
“Mainly because I’m funny…I don’t call myself a comedian, but coming from that family, you want to say to people, ‘Oh, come on, play along,’” Rivers said, adding that there was “nothing rude was going on.” .”
Shannon Finney/Getty Images; Warner Bros. The 81st annual Golden Globes officially kicked off the 2024 awards season on Sunday, January 7, as Hollywood’s hottest stars came out for the big night. The nominations were announced in December 2023. Barbie and Succession earned the most critical acclaim for film and TV respectively, with nine each. Oppenheimer followed close behind […]
Rivers went on to say that the ceremony was “not fun” and noted that the Golden Globes “should be the most fun.” She added that the awards ceremony is “early enough in the year that people have just gone back to work” and “nobody hates each other anymore.”
After his hosting debut, Koy failed to impress the guests seated at the Golden Globes and many of those watching at home. Some disagreed with Koy making excuses for the failure of his jokes by blaming his writers. (The awards ceremony took place just months after the end of the twin WGA and SAG strikes.)
“I got the gig 10 days ago! Do you want a perfect monologue? Yo, shut up. You’re kidding, right? Slow down,” he told the crowd. “I wrote a few of them, and they make you laugh.”
While Koy’s hosting didn’t receive much praise, Rivers wasn’t the only one to come to the comedian’s defense. During an episode of The view on Monday, cohost Sara Haines took aim at celebrity reactions during the ceremony.
Rich Polk/Golden Globes 2024/Golden Globes 2024 via Getty Images Jo Koy’s hosting debut at the Golden Globes left a lot to be desired. The comedian, 52, took to the stage on Sunday, January 7, after a long search for a presenter. Koy followed in the footsteps of other comedians, including Jerrod Carmichael, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, […]
“I love Jo Koy and the whole time I was nervous for him because I think he’s so funny. He’s nice, he’s good, everything. What bothers me more when I see this is that I need to get a sense of humor because we need to protect these national treasures called our comedians because life needs them,” she said. ‘We have to stop tying them up and fencing them off. In that room Jo Koy is hitting. Nobody feels sorry. Just laugh.”
Reporting by Travis Cronin and Robyn Merrett