Nikki Glaser Names the One Star Off-Limits for Jokes at Golden Globes 2026

Nikki Glaser is gearing up for her second stint as the solo host of the Golden Globes, and she’s not shy about sharing what she’s learnt from her time on stage. After making history last year as the first woman to take on the gig solo, Glaser is back for another round, but this time she’s treading carefully around one particular A-lister.

While chatting on CBS Mornings, Glaser opened up about her approach to prepping for the big night. She’s been road-testing her material at comedy clubs across Los Angeles, keen to see what lands and what doesn’t. It turns out, there’s one subject that’s strictly off-limits for the locals.

Testing the Waters with Comedy Club Crowds

Glaser explained that she’s been

“trying out my monologue around LA at the clubs here and just even any joke about Julia Roberts, they are not there for.”

She went on to say,

“You cannot make fun of America’s sweetheart.”

According to Glaser, any mention of Roberts in a comedic light is met with a wall of resistance. She’s found that even the most carefully crafted jokes about the beloved actress are a tough sell.

She described the reaction as “insane”, with punters outright booing any attempt to take the mickey out of Roberts. Glaser admitted,

“Whatever I end up saying about her, that is the most fine-tuned joke that I’ve worked on so hard, because it is very delicate.”

Julia Roberts: The Untouchable Icon

In another chat, Glaser compared the reaction to joking about Roberts to making light of a national tragedy, saying,

“She is the most sacred of cows in America. I assumed that we want to protect her at all costs, but it’s as if I was joking about JonBenét [Ramsey]. [Audiences] were like, ‘This is not funny. We’re not going to laugh about it.’”

It’s clear that, for many, Roberts is off-limits when it comes to comedy.

This year, Roberts is up for ‘Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama’ for her role in After The Hunt. She’s facing stiff competition from Jessie Buckley, who starred in Hamnet, and Renate Reinsve from Sentimental Value. The film One Battle After Another is leading the nominations, racking up nine nods, including ‘Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy’ and a nomination for Leonardo DiCaprio in ‘Best Leading Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy’.

All Eyes on the 2026 Ceremony

The much-anticipated ceremony is set to take place in Los Angeles on 11 January 2026. With Glaser at the helm again, audiences can expect a night full of sharp wit—just don’t expect any jokes at Julia Roberts’ expense.