Seth MacFarlane has confirmed he will not be hosting next year's Oscars. Which I think is a shame; does this mean Billy Crystal will be wheeled back in now? Will they opt for a double gig a la James Franco and Anne Hathaway (which SUCKED) or will they pilfer Amy Poehler and Tina Fey who tore it up at the Golden Globes? I really don't think MacFarlane did a bad job; he's one hell of a performer and of COURSE he's going to take the piss and offend a certain number of actors whose arses are embedded with permanent poles. They need to be taken down a peg or two, amirite? Still though, nice to be wanted. Despite largely dividing opinion, the powers that be say the would take him back in a heartbeat but turns out MacFarlane just can't hack the pressure. And regardless of what we thought, we all watched it. His hosting gig proved a success in terms of numbers with up to 40.3 million viewers tuning in in the US, which is a three percent increase on last year.
The 'Ted' director has taken to his Twitter account and announced he will not be returning to join this year's producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron for a second year.
'Traumatized critics exhale: I'm unable to do the Oscars again... Tried to make it work schedule-wise, but I need sleep. However, I highly recommend the job, as Zadan and Meron are two of the most talented producers in the business. My suggestion for host is Joaquin Phoenix.'
When news broke last month Seth had been offered the chance to lead next year's ceremony, he was said to be unsure whether to accept - particularly after he dedicated four months in preparation for this year's event.