Ellen DeGeneres Oscars 2014: 'Excited' to Host Awards Show for 2nd Time
Daytime talk show host Ellen DeGeneres has been announced as the host of the 86th Annual Oscar Awards. The Oscars will be broadcast on March 2, 2014.
This will be the second time that DeGeneres hosts the award show. DeGeneres also led the Emmys in 2001 and 2005, and served as co-host of the awards in 2003.
"I am so excited to be hosting the Oscars for the second time," DeGeneres told Variety, adding jokingly, "you know what they say - the third time's the charm."
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DeGeneres also confirmed the news on her Twitter account.
"It's official: I'm hosting the #Oscars! I'd like to thank @TheAcademy, my wife Portia and, oh dear, there goes the orchestra," she posted.
"Family Guy" creator Seth McFarlane hosted the Oscars last year. Ratings over his performance varied however, suggesting that the board chose DeGeneres this year in an effort to appease everyone.
McFarlane also confirmed in May that he had scheduling conflicts and would be unable to host the event.
"Traumatized critics exhale: I'm unable to do the Oscars again," the 39-year-old comedy talent wrote on Twitter. "Tried to make it work schedule-wise, but I need sleep."
Just after hosting the Oscars last year, McFarlane wrote on Twitter that there was "no way" he would agree to doing such a "high pressure" gig again. A number of critics accused the comedian of being "politically incorrect."
One writer accused MacFarlane of being overly self-indulgent.
"What MacFarlane seemed to forget was that the job at hand involved more than just performing, and was about more than just his performance," Robert Bianco wrote for USA Today. "Awash in self-indulgence, neither he nor his 3-hour-and-35-minute show ever seemed to hit a comfortable, confident stride, which is a shame, because the broadcast had a lot of entertainment to offer."
The Oscars has been pushed back this year to avoid other television scheduling conflicts.
