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| | Conan O?Brien announced to return as host of the Oscars for 2026 | | Added 2 days ago | Source: CeleBitchy |
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It is famously difficult to find someone to host the Oscars. Last year, a ton of people said no to hosting it, including 2024 host Jimmy Kimmel, John Mulaney, Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler, and Ryan Reynolds. Conan O?Brien was far from the first person asked, but I think he ended up being the best possible choice. I think Conan did a great job hosting this year?s Academy Awards. From what I?ve seen online, most people seem to agree with me. He was funny without being offensive and overall, I enjoyed his jokes and bits. My only complaint is how long the ceremony was, but they?re always too long. The producers over at Disney/ABC must have really liked Conan?s hosting style, too, because he?s already been tapped to host the Oscars again in 2026.
Conan O?Brien is returning to the Oscars stage in 2026. The late-night host and comedian will preside over the 98th Academy Awards, set for March 15, the film academy?s leadership said Monday.
?The only reason I?m hosting the Oscars next year is that I want to hear Adrien Brody finish his speech,? O?Brien said in a statement.
This year was O?Brien?s first time leading the show, which attracted its biggest broadcast audience in five years despite the winning movie, ?Anora,? being relatively small.
An estimated 19.7 million viewers watched the 97th Academy Awards ceremony earlier this month, according to broadcaster ABC, with a big lift among people aged 18 to 49, driven by mobile and laptop watches from younger viewers. It was also the most watched prime-time entertainment show of 2025.
?Conan?s unique comedic style perfectly captured the moment, and I?m excited to have his talents back onstage next year to helm another indelible performance,? said Craig Erwich, the president of Disney Television Group, in a statement.
Next year O?Brien will also be surrounded by a familiar team, with Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan returning as executive producers of the show and Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney as producers. Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang said in a joint statement that it?s an honor to be working again with the group behind this year?s broadcast.
?This year, they produced a hugely entertaining and visually stunning show that celebrated our nominees and the global film community in the most beautiful and impactful way,? Kramer and Yang said. ?Conan was the perfect host ? skillfully guiding us through the evening with humor, warmth and reverence.?
The show also succeeded in social media metrics, outperforming both the Grammy Awards and the Super Bowl, according to Oscars organizers. This was the first time that the show was streamed live simultaneously on Hulu, which was not without its glitches.
The timing of the announcement of next year?s hosting and producing teams ? less than a month after this year?s Oscars ? is unusually early for the film academy and ABC.
[From HuffPo]
?The only reason I?m hosting the Oscars next year is that I want to hear Adrien Brody finish his speech.? LMAO. Ain?t nobody got time for that. That?s exactly why everyone loves Conan, though. He?s got such great relationships with everyone. It probably makes it much easier to come up with jokes without being too controversial. I?m happy with this news. I don?t know why it took so long to get Conan to host them in the first place when he?s done a good job with the Emmys before. I look forward to what jokes and shenanigans he?ll come up with next year. You just know he and his team are already workshopping potential jokes for Ariana, Cynthia, and Wicked 2: For Good.
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| | Destiny's Child's Michelle Williams gets fan mail for the other Michelle Williams | | Added 2 days ago | Source: CeleBitchy |
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Destiny?s Child member Michelle Williams has been starring on Broadway since last November in Death Becomes Her, a campy musical adaptation of the 1992 Meryl Streep-Goldie Hawn film. It?s been a meaningful return to theater for Michelle, who in 2018 left a show after only two weeks to take care of her mental health. At the time, she feared the early exit might permanently shut the stage door for her on Broadway. Cut to seven years later, and Michelle is having a ball at the Lunt?Fontanne Theatre in a performance that is likely to earn Michelle her first Tony nomination. So yeah, it?s been a helluva comeback, and Michelle has been sharing the experience with fans in a series of backstage videos posted to her Instagram. Last week?s video, filmed a couple weeks after the production passed the 100th show milestone, saw Michelle reading fan mail she received all the way from Germany. Braggadocious of her? Not really, because it quickly became apparent the letter was intended for the other Michelle Williams.
On March 10, Michelle posted an Instagram video talking about Broadway?s Death Becomes Her, which just put on its 100th show, when she shared her excitement to open some of the fan mail she?d recently received.
?So you guys know, lately, I?ve been sharing dressing room updates and letters from people from all across the world,? Michelle said. ?So I received this letter, and I can?t wait to dig in and tell you guys what it says.?
Michelle noted the letter was from Germany and written by a man named Phillip before proceeding to read it aloud. It said, ??Dear Michelle Williams, I hope this letter finds you in great spirits. My name is Phillip, and I have been an avid fan of your incredible performances in both film and theater. Your work in movies like Blue Valentine, Manchester by the Sea [and] The Greatest Showman has moved me and many others, showcasing your exceptional talent.?
??I am writing to kindly ask if you would consider signing the enclosed photos I have of you. Having your autograph would mean so much for me and my daughter as we admire your artistry,?? the letter continued. Phillip also wished Michelle well on Death Becomes Her before thanking her for reading his message. ?I look forward to your future projects and continued success in your career,? he added. ?Warm regards, Phillip.? The letter was accompanied by a series of photos of Michelle throughout her career.
It?s sweet, right? So many people thought so, too!
One redditor said, ?This is a shockingly polite & formal fan letter!?
?Right omg it?s so sweet,? another agreed.
Some also thought it was pretty funny. ?When she held up the pictures, I HOLLERED ,? read one comment. ?she?s such a good sport about it.?
?If you were thinking these two should meet up (because that?s the obvious next step), don?t worry ? Michelle revealed it?s already in the works. ?Michelle knows what?s going on as well, and I cannot wait to see her, hopefully sooner than later,? the singer said, adding it?s currently ?being worked out.?
[From BuzzFeed]
Oh Phillip, Phillip, Phillip. He knows which Michelle he?s gushingly writing to, obviously. So then how does he make the fumble of not realizing which Michelle Williams is in the Broadway show?!? It?s not in this transcript, but when Michelle reads the letter in the video, Phillip directly mentions DBH playing at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. If he took the time to verify the venue, how could he have not then seen production photos? Was the confusion because the other Michelle Williams has a new series coming with a title that also references death? (FX?s Dying for Sex.) Whatever the reason, I applaud this Michelle for playfully showcasing what?s likely been happening for years. And speaking of, please watch the video. Michelle?s face when she finally pulls out the photos of the other Michelle Williams is absolutely priceless. She doesn?t say anything at that point ? she doesn?t have to! Yet still her face says it all. It?s a master class in subtext and acting for the camera. Brava! Actually, she does make one comment in that moment, when she breaks at the end to compliment the other Michelle?s hair. And then she cracked me up by insisting, ?I really do get fan mail that?s meant for me!? I can?t wait to see the follow up double act of Michelle Williams meeting Michelle Williams, and presumably exchanging mail.
Embed from Getty Images
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| | Will Smith is releasing a new album, his first in 20 years, and is going on tour this summer | | Added 2 days ago | Source: CeleBitchy |
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Over the weekend, Will Smith posted a video of himself doing the ?Anxiety Dance? with Tatyana Ali and Doechii. If you aren?t familiar with the Anxiety Dance, it?s a TikTok trend where people do the dance from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to a clip of Doechii?s ?Anxiety, which samples the melody from Gotyes Somebody That I Used to Know. It was started by a TikToker named Mimiola Olatunji.
Anyway, Tatyana, Will, and Doechii recreated the famous scene where Will catches Ashley dancing while wearing headphones and dances along with her. Obviously, the clip went viral. And, now that Will has everyone?s attention, he?s announced that he?s dropping a new hip hop album for the first time in 20 years! Based on a True Story has 14 new tracks and will be out in two weeks, on March 28.
Will Smith has announced the date that his latest album will be released as his imminent return to the world of hip-hop continues after a 20-year hiatus. The actor-rapper-producer shared the news on Instagram on Sunday, writing in a post that his new album is scheduled for release in two weeks.
?It?s OFFICIAL!! My new album, Based on a True Story, drops on March 28. TWO WEEKS!! Hit that presave. Been working on this project for a minute and I?m itchin? to get it out to y?all ?,? Smith posted on the social media platform to his 69.5 million followers.
The 14-track album will reunite Smith with DJ Jazzy Jeff and feature collaborations with Teyana Taylor and Jac Ross. Smith released a single, ?Beautiful Scars,? that features Big Sean and Obangain, in January.
The iconic comic and dramatic actor, and an Oscar winner for 2021?s King Richard, Smith has risen to the level of a multi-hyphenate pop culture phenomenon over his career, which began with rap music. He emerged from the fledgling hip-hop scene in the late 1980s as half of the duo DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince with instant classics like ?Parents Just Don?t Understand? and ?Girls Ain?t Nothing but Trouble,? both of which came with videos that enjoyed heavy MTV rotation.
Smith?s long-running hit NBC sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, featured his rapping, and as his Hollywood career took off, his music career flourished in tandem. At times, his franchise and Hollywood blockbuster movies, including Wild Wild West and Men in Black, featured a title track from Smith. His hip-hop career hit a peak with 1997?s Big Willie Style; he released three more records, Willennium (1999), Born to Reign (2002) and Lost and Found (2005), before putting down the mic to focus on his career in film as an actor and producer.
As an icon of entertainment for the last several decades, Smith is still, for many, rehabilitating his reputation after the shocking moment at the 2022 Academy Awards. This notorious Oscars moment saw the actor walk onstage and slap Chris Rock across the face following a joke the comedian made about Smith?s wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith. The fallout of that moment tarnished Smith?s reputation and led to him being banned from the Oscars for 10 years.
[From The Hollywood Reporter]
Thoughts on Will coming out with a new album? Other than Emancipation and last year?s Bad Boys: Ride or Die, he?s been laying relatively low since the Oscars slap, so it makes sense that his reemergence is a pivot back to music. I?m an Elder Millennial, so Fresh Prince, Men in Black, and Will?s first three albums all happened when I was in middle school thru high school. It?s cool, but also not surprising at all that he?s working with Jazzy Jeff again. Clearly, they work well together. When Will released ?Beautiful Scars? a few months ago, I just figured he was using music to work through some things. It never occurred to me that he was recording a whole new album. Maybe I?m wrong, but I think this type of comeback will be well-received. Enough time has passed and he?s going through a different door.
Will also announced a world tour on Monday. It kicks off this summer with dates in Europe and the UK. Presale begins on Wednesday, March 19 and general sales are on Friday, March 21. Interesting! Alright, Mr. Smith. I?m intrigued.
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