Conon O’Brien didn’t hold back while hosting the 2026 Oscars.
In his opening monologue, he made a joke about the recent British arrests, starting by pointing out that for the first time in many years, no British star had been nominated in the Best Actor or Actress categories.
He then joked: “A British spokesperson said: ‘Yes, but at least we’re arresting our pedophiles…'”
The light-hearted dig follows the recent arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor for misconduct in public office following the release of the Epstein files.
His arrest was not related to any allegations of sexual misconduct. However, it revived calls for accountability from Epstein’s survivors and US lawmakers, who demanded a full investigation into the late sex offender’s many high-profile associates in the US.
Andrew’s arrest came after months of speculation about his relationship with his late pedophile friend Jeffrey Epstein.
However, the Mirror reports that the former prince has consistently and vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
It’s also pertinent to mention that Conan was announced to return for this year’s ceremony just two days after hosting last year’s Academy Awards.
The Academy’s CEO Bill Kramer and its president Janey Yang said it was an “honor” to work with him in 2025.
They describe him as “the perfect host – expertly guiding us through the evening with humor, warmth and reverence.”
Meanwhile, Conan O’Brien joked at the time: “The only reason I’m hosting the Oscars next year is because I want to hear Adrien Brody finish his speech,” as he took a swipe at The Brutalist star’s lengthy acceptance speech after winning Best Actor. The star had spoken for so long that the orchestra tried to finish playing him, when Adrien then told them to stop and declared, “I’ve done this before.”
