Oscars 2022: Josh Gad's Reason For Turning Down The Offer To Co-Host

The Oscars may be one of the most crucial nights in the entertainment calendar, but it's never just about celebrating Hollywood's greatest films. The Academy Awards have seen its fair share of controversies and scandals throughout its history.

Such nasty ordeals range between A-lister boycotts, streakers, major hosting catastrophes, and barrages of attack from critics about its selection choices. As the D-day of the 2022 award ceremony draws nearer, the showrunners had earlier confirmed that this year's edition would be without a host before suddenly changing their mind about the decision.

At the time, rumors had it that showrunners found it challenging to land a host for the show due to the controversial format of this year's edition. Now, Josh Gad has lent more credence to the claims, revealing that he turned down the opportunity to host this year's Academy Awards.

Josh Gad addressed why he declined the opportunity to host the Oscars in 2022 on Twitter earlier this week. The star of "Beauty and the Beast" revealed that he disagreed with the Academy's decision to exclude eight of its categories from the event's broadcast.

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Gad penned, "Had a chance to host this year's Oscars & passed because it didn't feel right for me. I believe this team has the right intentions & I love that they want 2 do something new & different. I trust them. However, I would rethink sidelining the craft awards as they deserve 2 shine."

It's unknown whether the actor was aware of the show cuts when he declined the hosting role, but he's hardly the only Hollywood icon that refused to accept the Academy's offer. Lin-Manuel Miranda also said that he had previously rejected the hosting job.

In addition, a slew of other industry insiders has weighed in on the event. Seth Rogen recently stated that "people just don't care" about the Oscars like before.

Following Gad's post via Twitter, fans of the actor shared their views about the actor's decision and the recent awards ceremony changes.

One fan said, "I believe you would've made a wonderful host. You have the charm, humor, and showmanship that Oscars need. The [Academy] is just making things worse. The cohosts they have are brilliant people, but I don't believe this will help the Academy attract the viewership they seek.

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Another follower tweeted, "Even if you hosted, it still wouldn't have been  an equal playing field. I don't know what they are trying to prove. Plus, they need to keep the tech awards (Editing, Sound, Production Design, etc.) ON AIR during the broadcast."

Gad further highlighted that passing up the opportunity was not an easy feat in the comment section. "One of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. But honestly, they could not have done better. These three hosts are brilliant," he said.

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Gad's reference to the three hosts implied the showrunners' choice of Regina Hall, Wanda Sykes, and Amy Schumer to steer this year's Oscars. The show announced the trio of actors on February 14, which surprised fans due to the previous decision to have no host at the upcoming ceremony.

While the announced hosts are well-respected Hollywood stars who have made a name for themselves in the industry, it is unlikely that their presence will boost the ratings for the award show.

The reasons stem from the predictability of the eventual winner and a lack of interest from the general audience. Additionally, an alleged streak of racial bias from the showrunners has made the Oscars lose some of their popularity in recent times.

In response, the Oscars are launching a Fan Favorite competition on Twitter to spice up the ceremony, with the winner eventually announced during the show.

The Oscars' move to remove eight of its award categories from the broadcast sparked widespread outrage among spectators and industry insiders, with rumors circulating that candidates may shun the ceremony.

The Academy chose to eliminate several categories in order to cut the show's duration, but many people found it distasteful. They decided to leave off Documentary Short, Film Editing, Makeup/Hairstyling, Original Score, Production Design, Animated Short, Live-Action Short, and Sound to keep the broadcast under three hours and keep spectators interested.

Barring a miracle of some sort, Gad will certainly not climb the stage to host the show. However, it would have been intriguing to see him dish out his renowned comedy barbs for the audience and the viewers at home.

The 2022 Oscars will broadcast on ABC on Sunday, March 27.