It has been rumored since Kevin Hart stepped down as host that the 91st Academy Awards that the annual event would be hostless. ABC’s new programming chief has confirmed that the 91st Academy Awards will have no host, and says the controversy surrounding this year’s Oscars telecast has actually been good for the show. Karey Burke stated,
“Ironically, I have found that the lack of clarity around the Oscars have kept the Oscars in the conversation,”
. “It’s evidence of how relevant the Oscars still are, that people are still talking about these things and caring about these things.”
Burke also suggested that the exit of Hart would help speed up the show, which sometimes clocks in at nearly four hours.
