Above: Comedian Jo Koy talks to Nexstar’s KTLA about the reaction to his Golden Globes monologue.
(KTLA) – Actor Simu Liu is making one thing very clear: There will be no jokes at Taylor Swift’s expense during the upcoming 2024 People’s Choice Awards.
“There will be no Taylor slander at the 2024 PCAs that’s a personal guarantee,” tweeted Liu, who was announced as the ceremony’s host on Thursday.
Liu’s tweet came less than a week after Sunday’s Golden Globes ceremony. The host of the Golden Globes, comedian Jo Koy, had been criticized for what appeared to be an ill-received joke about Taylor Swift’s popularity during NFL broadcasts.
“As you know, we came on after a football double-header,” Koy told the crowd at the Beverly Hilton. “The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL? At the Golden Globes, we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift.”
A cutaway of Swift, who was in attendance at the Golden Globes, appeared to show the pop star unamused by the joke, or perhaps even unaware of it.
Social media reaction to Koy’s monologue was scathing. But the comedian told Nexstar’s KTLA that the joke was taken the wrong way, and wasn’t intended to be critical of Swift.
“We didn’t understand why they were upset and we were just like, ‘OK, the joke was NFL,'” Koy said. “[The] NFL is using that for cutaways, which is great, bringing a lot of publicity to the NFL. The joke was like, ‘It’s fewer cutaways to her.'”
Koy added that he thought the expression on Taylor’s face may have had little to do with his joke.
“No one’s listening to me on stage! Unless I directly talk to them. Like, if I wasn’t saying ‘Hey Robert De Niro’ and he’s like ‘Oh yes,’” he explained. “Taylor was probably talking about something else, so I don’t know.”
“I love Taylor,” he added. “It was just a joke about the NFL using cutaways [and] always going to Taylor when people are trying to watch the Chiefs play. That’s all.”
Taylor Swift is nominated for five People’s Choice Awards and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, is nominated for Athlete of the Year.
Liu is also nominated for an award for his co-starring role in “Barbie.”
“I’m so grateful to have been asked to step up to the hosting plate for the 2024 ‘People’s Choice Awards,’ the Canadian actor said in a statement provided by NBC Universal. “It’s exciting to celebrate this incredible year in pop culture, and to do so with the incredible fans that make what we do possible.”
The People’s Choice Awards are scheduled to air Sunday, Feb. 18, at 5 p.m. PST on NBC, E! and Peacock.
