Jo Koy reflects on Golden Globes hosting: ‘I feel bad’

Jo Koy | Image: Rolling Stone

Stand-up comedian Jo Koy admitted that he was hurt by the criticism he faced during his hosting of the 81st Golden Globe Awards, saying that hosting one of Hollywood’s most prestigious awards is tough, especially for someone who has little time to prepare.

In a guest appearance on Good Morning America on January 8, Jo Koy said hosting the annual awards show for the first time is something he will never forget, despite the brief amount of time he had to get ready for it.

“I had fun. It was a moment I’ll always remember. It’s a tough room. It was a hard job. I’m not gonna lie, getting that gig, having the kind of amount we had to prepare, that was a crash course,” he said.

When asked how he felt about the critics saying his jokes fell flat and offensive, the comedian confessed it was painful that he realized how hard it is to do hosting, especially when he dropped his writers, saying they did the script for him.

“I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hurt. I hit like a little moment there: ‘Ahh, hosting is a tough gig.’ Yes, I’m a stand-up comic, but hosting is a different style. I kind of went in, did the whole writers’ thing, and said,No, we were all in that room together. We just had 10 days trying to write something for this monologue. It was a crash course. I feel bad,” opened up Jo Koy.

The 52-year-old reflected on the Taylor Swift joke he uttered during his spiel, saying it was more of a dig at the National Football League (NFL) than the superstar.

“The Taylor one was just a little flat. It was a weird joke, I guess. But it was more on the NFL. I was trying to make fun of the NFL using cutaways and how the Globes didn’t have to do that. So it was more of a jab toward the NFL. But it just didn’t come out that way,” he explained.

When asked if he is still willing to say yes when asked to host the Golden Globes again, Jo Koy did not give a straight yes or no but noted how hosting is a tough game.

“That was a tough gig. I’m not going to lie. I really love the artists’ stand-up. It was cool that the opportunity came to me. Hosting is just a beast. The crash course had months to prepare. I literally had the call and haven’t slept since just trying to write something,” he said.