The 10 Worst Oscars Hosts of All Time

Over the years, Oscar hosts have ranked from awful to amazing, turning the evening into a spectacular event or a snoozefest. We’re taking a look back at some of the worst Oscar hosts in history.

Being an Oscar host is, in some ways, just as significant as being an Oscar nominee. After all, it’s one of Hollywood’s biggest nights, and the host gets more stage time than the actual winners do. And being a good Oscar host, like being an Oscar nominee, can really have a positive impact on an entertainer’s career. On the other hand, doing a horrible job as an Oscar host can leave a black mark on a star’s reputation.

If an Oscar host does an outstanding job, they often get invited back. Billy Crystal, for example, has hosted the awards ceremony nine times, coming in second only to Bob Hope who hosted the event a total of 19 times. Ellen Degeneres and Jon Stewart have both hosted twice, as have Steve Martin and Chevy Chase, thanks to their entertaining performances as Oscar hosts.

But then there are the disasters. It’s not easy to read an audience that’s not in front of you while also keeping everyone in the room entertained. Stand-up comedians tend to have a lot of experience in that area which may be why they often do so well at the job. Oscar hosts need to be able to improvise on live television, and they need to have great comedic timing. They have to know how to think fast while also being appropriately funny. Not everyone does.

Let’s take a look back at some of the worst Oscar hosts over the past four decades and talk about where they went wrong.