5 lines from Nikki Glaser that sum up her night as Golden Globes host
- - 5 lines from Nikki Glaser that sum up her night as Golden Globes host
Kate MurphyJanuary 12, 2026 at 6:00 AM
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Host Nikki Glaser speaks onstage during the 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards. (Kevork Djansezian/CBS via Getty Images) (Kevork Djansezian/CBS via Getty Images)
Nikki Glaser got Hollywood’s biggest party started at the 2026 Golden Globes on Sunday night when she returned for the second year in a row to take on hosting duties. During her opening monologue, she poked fun at her return, saying, “Just like 'Wicked,' I'm back for a sequel."
In preparing her monologue for this year’s Golden Globes stage, Glaser said one of the toughest jokes to write was about actress Julia Roberts, who was nominated this year for best actress in a film drama for her performance in After the Hunt.
Glaser told Yahoo that she tested out her material on real audiences at comedy clubs around Los Angeles and learned that they’re fiercely protective of Roberts.
“No one wants you to make fun of America’s Sweetheart. Not even the lightest, most innocent joke,” Glaser said. In her monologue, Glaser ultimately approached the joke from a different angle. “Just like the podcasters nominated tonight, I should not be allowed to be this close to Julia Roberts,” Glaser quipped, garnering laughter from the audience.
While she avoided roasting Roberts, she ribbed other Golden Globe nominees, including Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, George Clooney, Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart. She also took a jab at current events and ribbed CBS, the network that broadcast the Golden Globes.
Here were a few of her most memorable lines throughout the evening.
“The most impressive thing is that you were able to accomplish that all before your girlfriend turned 30."
Glaser spared no expense in hitting DiCaprio’s history of dating younger women. The actor, 51, has been dating Italian supermodel Vittoria Ceretti, 27, since 2023.
“What a career you've had," she said to the One Battle After Another star. "Countless iconic performances, you've worked with every great director, you've won three Golden Globes, an Oscar, and the most impressive thing is that you were able to accomplish that all before your girlfriend turned 30."
"I mean, that's just insane," Glaser said before apologizing as DiCaprio laughed.
"Leo, I'm sorry I made that joke," she said. "It's cheap. I tried not to, but, like, we don’t know anything else about you, man. There’s nothing else. Open up! I’m serious! I looked! I searched! The most in-depth interview you’ve ever given was in Teen Beat magazine in 1991.”
“There are so many A-listers, and by A-listers, I do mean people who are on a list that has been heavily redacted.”
While Glaser told the that she was wary about bringing up the topic of the Trump administration capturing Venezuela’s president earlier this month, she didn’t back down from other current events.
"I cannot believe the amount of star power we have in this room tonight. It's insane," Glaser said. "There are so many A-listers, and by A-list I do mean a list that has been heavily redacted. And the Golden Globe for Best Editing goes to the Justice Department,” she said, calling out the Trump administration for its recent redactions of the Epstein files.
“CBS News: America’s newest place to see BS news.”
Perhaps one of Glaser’s most notable lines from her opening monologue was her joke that dug into CBS for pulling a 60 Minutes news segment last month about the alleged abuse of Venezuelan immigrants at a prison in El Salvador deported by the Trump administration.
“And the award for most editing goes to CBS News ... America’s newest place to see BS news,” Glaser said.
“Podcasts: they're…just what we have now.”
New to the Golden Globes this year was the Best Podcast category. Before the nominees were announced during the show, Glaser appeared in a short video that spoofed AMC's iconic ad with Nicole Kidman. Instead of being able to go into the movie theater that was “closed for renovations,” Glaser goes to her car to listen to a podcast.
“That indescribable feeling when the episode starts to play,” Glaser calmly says to the camera, only to be hit with a loud ad she tries to frantically skip through — a frustrating moment most podcast listeners have no doubt experienced.
“Can we go someplace we’ve never been before?” Glaser continues, only to be met with mundane questions from the Golden Globe-nominated podcasts, including, “What’s your favorite cookie?” and “What time do you like to eat dinner?”
“I won’t give up, up, up on this song, yeah!”
Nikki Glaser at the 83rd Annual Golden Globes. (Christopher Polk/2026GG/Penske Media via Getty Images) (Christopher Polk/2026GG/Penske Media via Getty Images)
For the second year in a row, Glaser performed a brief musical number, mashing up two of the 2026 Golden Globe nominees: lyrics inspired by Marty Supreme, a film about a man who wants to be a ping pong champion, to the tune of the hit song “Golden” from Netflix’s Kpop Demon Hunters.
“I won’t give up, up, up on this song, yeah,” Glaser belted out, holding a ping pong paddle for a microphone. Moments later, she was interrupted by Fran Drescher, costar of Marty Supreme, known for her distinctive voice in the 1990s TV sitcom The Nanny.
“You have to stop singing, your voice is so annoying,” Drescher pleaded, and then asked Glaser if she was going to sing in Korean.
“No. I was going to rap in Korean,” Glaser quipped.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
