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LOS ANGELES: British comic Ricky Gervais is to host the Golden Globes again despite ruffling feathers with his close-to-the-bone humor at the last show, organizers and the unpredictable star said Wednesday.
And Gervais, who launched off-color barbs at stars including Mel Gibson and Robert Downey Jr. from the Globes stage in January, made it clear he won't tone down his performance this time.
“'BOOM! @rickygervais back hosting Golden Globes. Be afraid, Hollywood egos, be very afraid.' It's gonna be biblical,” he posted on Twitter, retweeting a comment by CNN celebrity talk show host Piers Morgan.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which organizes the Globes event, said the decision was taken after talks with US broadcaster NBC, which airs the event to be held January 15.
“After weeks of rumors, it's finally official – Ricky Gervais will be back to host the Golden Globes for a third year,” it said.
“While many welcome Gervais's return, not everyone is happy with the decision because last year his blunt one-liners targeting big-name celebrities caused anger and resentment in some quarters,” the HFPA said.
It noted that Gervais, creator of hit comedies including “The Office” and “Extras,” had initially dismissed the possibility of presenting the Globes again amid the furor over the last show.
“But he gradually warmed to the idea and last month met with HFPA president Dr Aida Takla-O'Reilly in Paris to discuss it,” the statement added.
Minutes after the announcement, Gervais took to Twitter with a typically provocative joke involving Billy Crystal, named last week to host the Academy Awards, the climax of Hollywood's annual awards season due on February 26.
“Just told Billy Crystal he'd better not use any of my Holocaust or pedophile material at The Oscars. He agreed (true),” Gervais tweeted.
Then in an exchange with Morgan, who was asking Gervais for a post-show interview, he posted: “'Dear @rickygervais - please can I have the first 'Sorry if I offended anyone.' What if I'm not sorry? Like last time. Ha ha.”
Gervais came under fire for remarks in January about Gibson's alleged anti-Semitism, Downey Jr's past drug problems and Charlie Sheen's reputation for hard partying.
He also took a shot at the HFPA for allegedly taking bribes, and quipped that before coming on stage, he had to get then HFPA head Philip Berk “off the toilet and pop his teeth back in.”
The winners of the Golden Globes are selected by a relatively small number of journalist members of the HFPA – in contast to the Oscars, chosen by some 6,000 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Gervais joked openly about the credibility of the HFPA leadership at the last show, asking how the widely-panned Angelina Jolie-Johnny Depp movie “The Tourist” managed to get nominated.
“I'd like to crush this ridiculous rumor that the only reason 'The Tourist' was nominated was so that the foreign press could hang out with Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie.
“That was not the only reason – they also accepted bribes,” he said.
Berk, president of the HFPA at the time, said after the show that Gervais “definitely crossed the line,” adding: “But that's Ricky .. When you hire Ricky Gervais, you expect the unexpected.”
