Jimmy Kimmel returns as host for the third time

Third time’s a charm! Jimmy Kimmel will host the 2023 Academy Awards, marking his return to the Oscars after a five-year hiatus.

“Being invited to host the Academy Awards for the third time is either a great honor or a trap,” the talk show host, 54, said in a statement to Diversity on Monday, November 7, after ABC announced him as host. “Anyway, I’m grateful to the Academy for asking me so quickly after all the good ones said no.”

Executive producers and hosts of the show, Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner, praised Kimmel in a joint statement announcing his return: “We’re super stoked that Jimmy scored his hat trick on this global stage. We know he will be fun and ready for anything.”

Director of the Academy of Film Arts and Sciences Bill Kramer and the president of the Academy Janet Yang added that the comedian was the “perfect” choice to celebrate the 95th Oscars. “His love of movies, expertise in live television and ability to connect with our global audience will create an unforgettable experience for our millions of viewers around the world,” they said.

Kimmel previously hosted the Oscars twice, in 2017 and 2018. His first time hosting an awards show featured the now-famous Best Picture medley when they’re the presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway accidentally posted it La La Land won the night’s top prize, when she actually left Moonlight.

“It was a lot of fun, all the way,” Man Show alum recalled during his monologue on the February 2017 episode Jimmy Kimmel Live!. “It was going really well, we were hustling, and then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, it turned into one of those Maury Povich paternity test shows.” Kimmel added that he wasn’t sure how to react to the incident and keep everyone calm as the cast and crew of both films were standing on stage. “Who the hell even knows who is who from which movie? I’m standing there like an idiot, I feel sorry for these guys – but I’m also trying really hard not to laugh, to be honest,” he explained.

Kimmel continued: “[For hours afterward,] I was like, ‘Hey, no, I’m not. I wasn’t kidding. If I was making a joke, I wouldn’t just have the winner’s name wrong on the envelope. There would be a coupon for Bed Bath & Beyond.’”

Next year, Crank Yankers alum said Good morning America to enjoy when things “go wrong” during major televised events. “I love when things go wrong, I’m fine with that,” Kimmel said in February 2018. “People don’t even realize it, but during our rehearsal [last year], on the day of the Oscars, the entire set dropped. I’m not talking about a small piece of kit, I’m talking about a huge wooden structure that crashed to the floor.”

While Kimmel is no stranger to hosting the Oscars, he may not have been the Academy’s first choice. In August, Chris Rock joked that producers approached him about holding the ceremony in 2023, but that he turned it down after slapping him Will Smith at last year’s awards ceremony. According to the Arizona Republic, Everyone hates Chris alum, 57, told the audience at the comedy show in Phoenix, Arizona that hosting the Oscars would be like returning to the scene of a crime.

Citing a murder trial OJ SimpsonRok added that returning to the awards show would be like asking the late Nicole Brown Simpson “to return to the restaurant” where she left her glasses before she was murdered in 1994.

The Adults Smith (53) slapped the star after making a joke Jada Pinkett Smith‘s hair while presenting the award at the ceremony in March. After telling Rock to “keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth,” The Fresh Prince of Bel Air alum apologized multiple times for his actions, starting with his Best Actor acceptance speech later that night. The next day, Smith issued a public apology and later resigned from the Academy. In April, King Richard The star was banned from all Academy events – including the Oscars – for a decade as a result of the incident.

Smith once again expressed remorse for his behavior in a lengthy video shared on Instagram in July, where he said he hoped to one day apologize to The Rock in person. “There’s no part of me that thinks that’s the optimal way to deal with feelings of disrespect or insults. … I’ll tell you, Chris, I’m sorry. My behavior was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk,” he said at the time.