Oscars 2020 to go hostless for the second consecutive year

Karey Burke, president of ABC Entertainment, has announced that the 2020 Oscars, which is less than a month away, will have no host. This is the second time in a row that ABC and The Academy has decided for a hostless event.

Karey made the announcement at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour in Pasadena, USA.

Stressing that the award function would repeat which worked last year, Burke said: "Let me confirm it now, together with the Academy, that there will be no traditional host this year," cited The Hollywood Reporter.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Burke mentioned that ABC and the Academy would like to follow the same formula that made the 2019 award a success.

"We are extremely happy with how the show went. Odds are you'll see us repeating what we consider to be a successful formula," Burke added.

The much anticipated 2020 award night will be bankrolled by Oscar-nominated producers Lynette Howell Taylor and Stephanie Allain, in their first involvement with the Academy Awards.

Last year actor-comedian Kevin Harts was initially supposed to host the event but stepped down from the role as he got in between controversies that surfaced in which he expressed anti-gay sentiments and used homophobic terminology, cited The Hollywood Reporter.

Thus in 2019, The Academy decided not to replace Hart and instead held the ceremony without a host.

"The producers decided to wisely not have a host and have the presenters and the movies be the stars. That's the best way to keep the show to a brisk three hours, " Burke said.

Ellen DeGeneres, Jon Stewart, Billy Crystal Hugh Jackman, Seth MacFarlane, Jimmy Kimmel, Neil Patrick Harris, and Chris Rock are among the previous hosts of the Oscars.

Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin joined hands to co-host the 2010 ceremony, while, Anne Hathaway and James Franco teamed up and co-hosted in 2011.

The 92nd Academy Awards will be held in February.