As she walked onto the stage of the 82nd annual Golden Globes on January 5th, 2025, host Nikki Glaser transparently stated “…this feels like I’ve finally made it,” opening her ten-minute monologue with a joyful tone for the rest of the evening.
The humble Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated comedian has proven her career to be more than successful even before becoming the first woman to ever solo-host the Golden Globes Award Show this year. This past year especially, Glaser has gained achievements past the world of stand-up comedy, earning fame as a podcaster, actress, and most intriguingly a roast professional, all while on tour. Her appearance on Netflix’s The Roast of Tom Brady is what the comedian herself believes to be the source of her recent spike in popularity.
Glaser’s performance this past Sunday was met with widespread acclaim. Her sharp wit and humorous takes on pop culture highlights from 2024 left an unforgettable mark on the audience and viewers at home. Some of the night’s best jokes, which have received unanimous praise, were similar to the ‘roast’ nature of the television specials. Her comments targeting Timothee Chalamet, Glen Powell, and Zendaya Coleman were just some of the night’s biggest hits.
Aside from firing lighthearted jabs at some of last year’s brightest celebrities, many of Glaser’s jokes surrounded two of the nominated productions this year, Emilia Perez and Wicked, as well as the infamous “Diddy Case” which has swept social media platforms in recent months, generating countless memes. Lines like “I did not know much about Wicked going into this year because I had friends in high school … Everyone loved Wicked. I loved Wicked. My boyfriend loved Wicked. My boyfriend’s boyfriend really loved Wicked” landed beautifully with the audience.
This was only followed by a funnier shot at the imprisonment of and legal situation surrounding Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs: “And Challengers? That was more sexually charged than Diddy’s credit card. The afterparty is not going to be as good this year, but we have to move on. I know ‘Stanley Tucci Freakoff’ doesn’t have the same ring to it.”
With her fearless approach to humor and knack for poking fun at Hollywood’s greatest stars, it’s clear Glaser’s future in hosting may just be beginning. The comedian has said in interviews before that she does not intend for this to be her last Golden Globes, an ambition that, after last weekend, has many excited.
Particularly in the past half-decade, the Golden Globes has faced much controversy as an institution. From allegations of racist practices in 2021 to the criticism last year’s host, Jimmy Koy, was subjected to, Glaser definitely stepped up the show’s reputation with her monologue. If this performance is any indication, we very well may be seeing Nikki Glaser take the stage in the years to come.
Sources:
NBC: Nikki Glaser Praised as Golden Globes Host
