Nikki Glaser kicked off Hollywood’s biggest night at the 2026 Golden Globes, returning as host for the second consecutive year. In her opening monologue, she humorously acknowledged her return, remarking, “Just like ‘Wicked,’ I’m back for a sequel.”
While preparing for her monologue, Glaser mentioned that crafting a joke about actress Julia Roberts was particularly challenging. Roberts was nominated for best actress in a film drama for her role in After the Hunt.
Glaser shared with Yahoo that she tested her jokes on comedy audiences in Los Angeles and discovered that they are very protective of Roberts.
“Nobody wants you to mock America’s Sweetheart, not even with the slightest joke,” Glaser commented. Ultimately, she chose to approach the joke differently, quipping, “Just like the podcasters nominated tonight, I should not be allowed to be this close to Julia Roberts,” which drew laughter from the audience.
While she refrained from roasting Roberts, Glaser made light of other nominees, including Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and Dwayne Johnson. She also alluded to current events and poked fun at CBS, the network airing the Golden Globes.
One of her memorable remarks targeted DiCaprio’s dating history, where she said, “What a career you’ve had… the most impressive thing is that you were able to accomplish that all before your girlfriend turned 30.” After DiCaprio laughed, she quickly apologized, humorously stating, “It’s cheap, but I couldn’t help it!”
Glaser also commented on the star power in the room, quipping, “There are so many A-listers, and by A-list, I mean a list that has been heavily redacted.” She cleverly alluded to the Trump administration’s redactions of Epstein documents, drawing gasps and laughter. Finally, Glaser incorporated a parody about podcasts, humorously highlighting the mundane questions listeners often encounter.
For her second year, Glaser performed a brief musical piece that combined elements from the nominees, while humorously interacting with Fran Drescher, who interrupted her singing. “Your voice is so annoying,” Drescher remarked, leading to a playful exchange about Glaser’s rap plans, concluding the night on a lively note.
