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It takes a lot of planning, writing and re-writing to come up with the perfect opening monologue for an awards ceremony, and no one is more aware of this fact than 2026 Golden Globe Awards host Nikki Glaser.
The comedian, 41, caught attention in 2024 for her roast of former NFL star and Super Bowl champion Tom Brady and again with her Golden Globes hosting debut in 2025, per E! News. As she prepares to return as host for the second time, Glaser explained to Gayle King on CBS Mornings that there is one star that is so beloved that she can't roast during the ceremony. She even has the field research to back it up.
"I'm trying out my monologue around L.A., at the clubs here, and just even any joke about Julia Roberts, they are not there for," she said. "You cannot make fun of America's Sweetheart. So, whatever I end up saying about her, that is the most fine-tuned joke that I've worked on so hard, because it is very delicate."
The host of the Nikki Glaser Podcast recalled one instance trying out material poking fun at the Notting Hill actress, only to be met with a negative response, admitting, "They were booing, and I was like, 'Is she here?' It's insane."
Glaser, who said her jokes this year will be more "covert" as she is "a huge fan" of nominees like Roberts and Leonardo DiCaprio, shared that the best delivery is about finding a balance between respect for the actors and the viewers tuning in to watch the show.
"You have to be very delicate about making jokes that aren't going to ruin anyone's night," she said. "But you also want to give the people at home something to laugh at, and you want to poke fun at the people that they're dying for you to make fun of. People at home want you to make fun of the A-listers."
The 2026 Golden Globes air Sunday, January 11, on CBS and Paramount+.