Comedian Nikki Glaser had the audience laughing and cringing as she opened the 82nd annual Golden Globe Awards with her trademark razor-sharp humor.
Making history as the first female to host the award show solo, the 40-year-old said on the red carpet that she had rehearsed her nine-minute-long opening monologue about 93 times.
However, there was one joke about arrested rapper Sean 'Diddy' Combs that did not sit too well with social media users. Nevertheless, her opening monologue was seen as a rebound after previous host Jo Koy tanked while opening the show last year.
Nikki Glaser made history as the first female to host the Golden Globe Awards solo
Image credits: Matthew Taplinger/CBS
The roast queen wasted no time in unleashing the jabs and kicked off her speech by branding the 2025 Golden Globes show as “Ozempic's biggest night.”
“I gotta say, this feels like I finally made it. You know, I'm in a room full of producers at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, and this time, all of my clothes are on, so it was worth it,” she said.
“What a night. I look out and I see some of the hardest working actors in show business. By that, I mean, your servers. Yes, yes, give it up,” she joked before making her way around the room and naming some “absolute Hollywood legends” in the audience like Kate Winslet, Cate Blanchett and Colin Farrell.
The comedian kicked off her roast-heavy monologue by calling the 2025 Golden Globes as “Ozempic’s biggest night”
Image credits: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Image credits: Golden Globes
When she spotted Zendaya, she said: “Zendaya, you were incredible in Dune. Oh my God, I woke up for all of your scenes. You were so good.”
Zendaya was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy for her role in Challengers, which follows a former tennis prodigy in a love triangle with her husband and ex-boyfriend.
“And Challengers,” she said while talking addressing Zendaya. “Girl, oh my God, it was so good, I mean, that movie was more sexually charged than Diddy’s credit card. I know, I’m upset too, the afterparty isn’t going to be as good this year but we have to move on.”
Selena Gomez, Nicole Kidman, Ben Affleck and Timothée Chalamet were among the stars who became the butt of Glaser's jokes
Image credits: Golden Globes
Image credits: Golden Globes
“I know, Stanley Tucci 'Freak Off' just doesn't have the same ring to it, but no baby oil this year, just lots of olive oil,” she added.
Some netizens criticized the joke, with one saying: “I actually liked the monologue until the Diddy joke. #GoldenGlobes just no.”
“I just... will never find Diddy jokes funny,” read a second comment while a third wrote, “The Diddy jokes... almost turned my TV off.”
“Can someone please tell these 'comedians' that the Diddy jokes are not funny?" one said. "We’re in for a long night with the golden globes I think…”
“You’re gonna be pope-ular,” the comedian sang as she spoofed the Wicked song “Popular” while wearing the Pope's ceremonial hat
Image credits: Rich Polk/GG2025/Penske Media
Image credits: Golden Globes
“Now I wanna know what jokes were cut from Nikki Glaser’s opening monologue,” wrote another.
Glaser gave some monologue-time to other stars as well, including Timothée Chalamet.
“Can I just say you have the most gorgeous eyelashes on your upper lip? I think this is just such a good look,” she told the fellow Dune star.
“Dude, you were so good in A Complete Unknown as Bob Dylan. Wasn't he just incredible? So good dude. Seriously, in fact, I actually read that your singing voice was so accurate that even Bob Dylan himself admitted that it was absolutely horrible,” she continued with her brutal punch.
While some found her set hilarious, others criticized her joke about arrested rapper Sean 'Diddy' Combs
Image credits: Golden Globes
Image credits: Golden Globes
The sassy star also made Ben Affleck’s orgasms the subject of one of her jokes.
“Tonight, we celebrate the best of film and hold space for television,” she said and went on to list a few films that received nominations.
“Yes, Wicked, Queer, Nightbitch."
“These are not just words Ben Affleck yells after he orgasms,” she quipped. “These are some of the incredible movies nominated tonight.”
Glaser’s razor-sharp monologue was a rebound from Jo Koy’s widely criticized performance from last year
Image credits: Golden Globes
“The Bear, The Penguin, Baby Reindeer,” she continued listing films.
“These are not just things found in RFK's freezer. These are TV shows nominated tonight.”
Prior to the Golden Globes 2025 show, Glaser told People that she wasn’t “out for blood” and didn’t want to “ruin” anyone’s night with her jokes.
“I certainly don't want them to remember my name for the wrong reasons,” she told People
Image credits: Golden Globes
Being mindful of her roaster reputation, she added: “I don't want anyone to go into this feeling like, ‘Oh my God,’ coming up with armor on. ‘Who does this girl think she is?’”
“But it's still a big, glitzy, glamorous event where people are taking themselves too seriously. So it's walking a line with them,” she continued.
“So every joke I write, I want it to be edgy enough to please the people at home, the common man wants me to take down the Hollywood elite—even though we all worship the Hollywood elite — they still want me to put them in their place.”
Netizens praised Glaser's speech after last year's opening monologue was a flop
