Golden Globes host Nikki Glaser is thankful that Chelsea Handler made a joke about Leonardo DiCaprio at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards.
“It was nice that I got to watch the Critics Choice Awards and see if he’s in the mood to laugh about himself,” Glaser, 41, said during her Jimmy Kimmel Live! appearance on Tuesday, January 6. “And he did. He seems like he has a good sense of humor about himself.”
The comedian added, “I come in peace, and I’m glad that I really loved his performance in One Battle [After Another] and can really lay that on thick before I go in for the kill.”
Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel asked if it helps to compliment the star before going into the joke.
“It always seems like you’re just setting somebody up to be punched in the stomach,” Kimmel noted. Glaser semi-agreed.
“I think they fall for it,” she said. “I make sure it comes from a real place. I don’t do it unless I actually feel it. I wouldn’t say anything if I didn’t actually feel that way.”
Handler, 50, kicked off the 2025 awards season on Sunday, January 4, with her fourth year hosting the Critics Choice Awards. DiCaprio, 51, could be seen laughing in the crowd as Handler called him out during her monologue.
“Leo’s here, thank God,” Handler quipped. “Leo almost didn’t make it tonight because he was trapped on a boat in St. Barts. It was just like the Titanic, but worse, because Jeff Bezos was there.”
Glaser, meanwhile, is gearing up for her second year as host of the Golden Globes on Sunday, January 11. Her monologue last year crushed, putting on the pressure for this year to measure up.
“It’s a little harder this year,” Glaser explained during Tuesday’s talk show appearance. “I don’t have movies like Night Bitch this time. You had some funny movies last year.”
She added, “I found that this year I’m just intimidated because there’s a new caliber of star in the room that I grew up, kind of, idolizing. It’s like people that were on my wall as a kid.”
Glaser named DiCaprio and George Clooney — who are both nominated — as two of the stars whose careers she has followed.
It was announced two months after her debut hosting gig in January 2025 that Glaser would be returning for a second year.
“Hosting the Golden Globes this year was without a doubt the most fun I have ever had in my career,” Glaser said in a statement at the time. “I can’t wait to do it again, and this time in front of the team from The White Lotus who will finally recognize my talent and cast me in Season Four as a Scandinavian Pilates instructor with a shadowy past.”
Golden Globes president Helen Hoehne also released a statement.
“Nikki Glaser brought a refreshing spark and fearless wit to the Golden Globes stage this year,” he said. “Her sharp humor, and bold presence set the tone for an unforgettable night, making the ceremony feel vibrant and most of all fun.”
