Nikki Glaser Reveals the Celebrity She Can’t Roast at Golden Globes

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Nikki Glaser won’t be roasting this pretty woman at the Golden Globes.

The comedian hosting the awards show on January 11th is aware that viewers would prefer she avoid making fun of Julia Roberts.

Nikki recently tested out her monologue at comedy clubs in Los Angeles and discovered the audience doesn’t respond well to jokes about Julia Roberts. As she explained to Gayle King on CBS Mornings on January 6th, people seem to really protect Roberts’ image. Nikki said any joke she tells about her has to be carefully crafted, as it’s a sensitive topic and requires a lot of work to get right.

The 41-year-old added, “They were booing, and I was like, ‘Is she here?’ It’s insane.”

Nikki, who became well-known after her popular performance at the 2024 Roast of Tom Brady, said her jokes at this year’s Golden Globes will be more subtle. This is because many major stars, including Julia Roberts, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Sean Penn, are nominated for awards.

She said she really likes these performers. She admitted it’s simple to playfully criticize younger actors, feeling like an experienced professional gives her that license. However, she’s taking a different tack this year when it comes to people she’s always looked up to.

It’s a tricky balance – you need to be careful with jokes so you don’t spoil anyone’s evening. But at the same time, the audience wants to laugh, and they especially want you to joke about the famous people they’re eager to see you tease. Basically, people at home want you to poke fun at the celebrities.

Nikki sometimes checks with the people her jokes are about, especially the harsher ones. For example, she texted Selena Gomez’s husband, Benny Blanco, last year to make sure he was okay with a joke about their relationship. She joked that he was dating Gomez “because of a genie granting his wish.”

This year, though, she’s leaning away from that approach.

You know, it’s funny—I’m such a fan of Leo, I honestly don’t even know if he has a phone! It makes you think, though. Sometimes I come up with a funny line, and then I wonder if I’d actually reach out to the person and share it. But then I realize, they might not appreciate it, and the joke isn’t worth potentially bothering them. It’s like, if they’d say no to a message, the joke isn’t that great anyway.

She preferred to apologize later, even if it meant asking for forgiveness while everyone was at the afterparty and had been drinking.

Before this year’s Golden Globes ceremony, let’s revisit Nikki’s best hosting highlights from 2025.

Although there isn’t an award for it, Nikki Glaser was a hit with many viewers for her opening monologue at the 2025 Golden Globes. She kicked off the show on January 5th at the Beverly Hilton, playfully calling it “Ozempic’s biggest night.”

Over the next ten minutes, Glaser joked about several celebrities, including Harrison Ford, Nicole Kidman, and Keith Urban. She also referenced popular moments like Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco’s engagement, and the viral meme of Ariana Grande holding Cynthia Erivo’s finger during the Wicked promotional tour.

The comedian didn’t shy away from risqué humor, with jokes about Ben Affleck and Glen Powell. She even made a bold statement about Powell, saying, “Glen, you were in everything: Twisters, Hit Man, my head when I’m having sex with my boyfriend. Thank you so much for the assist. I’ll see ya tonight.”

One of the funniest moments from Nikki’s opening performance was when she jokingly teased Timothée Chalamet. He was up for Best Actor for his role as Bob Dylan in the movie A Complete Unknown, and he brought Kylie Jenner as his date.

She playfully teased Timothée, pointing out his knack for portraying quirky and well-loved characters like Dylan and Willy Wonka. Joking that he should play Adam Sandler next, she even commented that his name sounded like something Sandler himself would say. Then, she asked Sandler to say ‘Chalamet,’ and he happily obliged, delivering it in his signature voice.

The laughs kept coming all night thanks to Nikki. She playfully joked about the prevalence of plastic surgery among celebrities. “You all look fantastic tonight!” she told the crowd. “Seriously, great work. And I admire your cheekbone placement – no judgment here, because I’m getting work done too! I’ve also started ‘drinking more water’ and ‘meditating.’ It’s great – meditating even lifts your eyelids, which is really handy!”

Nikki’s performance included a memorable musical number. She told the audience, “There were so many great movies this year, like Wicked and Conclave, and it just gave me an idea!” Dressed in a pink dress reminiscent of Glinda from Wicked, she grabbed a wand and a mitre – a hat worn by the Pope, referencing Conclave‘s story. She then sang a funny version of Wicked‘s song “Popular,” cleverly renamed “Pope-ular.” Unfortunately, the skit didn’t last long, as Nikki jokingly pretended to receive instructions to stop the performance.

Everyone was watching to see which movies and shows won the most awards (you can find the complete winners list here), but Nikki was focused on counting something else.

She noted that the first half of the show had already been packed with memorable moments, and the acceptance speeches were particularly outstanding. She then wanted to see who had been thanked or mentioned the most, and turned to a scoreboard displaying the results.

The cast and crew received the most recognition, being mentioned 11 times. Moms were also acknowledged, with three shout-outs. Interestingly, God wasn’t mentioned at all, while Mario Lopez, the host of Access Hollywood, received just one mention, as the speaker pointed out.

Nikki wasn’t just a fantastic host – she also treated the Golden Globes like a fashion show, changing outfits at least ten times throughout the night, from the red carpet to the finale.

Nikki naturally wanted to share her special evening with family, so she walked the red carpet with her parents and sister, making it a true family outing. After the event, she publicly thanked her mother, Julie Glaser, declaring her the “best mom”!

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2026-01-07 02:17