It’s been three decades since the Academy Awards have gone host-less, but it looks like this year’s edition will do just that.
Near the end of 2017, social media users dug up offensive past tweets from comedian and actor Kevin Hart, who had been chosen as the host for this year’s Oscars ceremony. When he refused to apologize, the Academy shifted gears.
And while many have speculated about who else would make a good host in 2019, the decision to drop the position isn’t too surprising. There are likely plenty of celebrities who would rather not take up the position now, amid the controversy.
The Academy plans to use a series of high-profile stars throughout the ceremony as presenters and personality, but unless something drastically changes, there won’t be an individual featured figure. It’ll certainly be interesting to see how (if at all) this decision impacts viewership.