Extra fancy.
Speculation ran rampant on social media and at least a couple of news outlets, that E! put Ryan Seacrest’s red carpet reports on a time delay, in case anyone wanted to confront the longtime Oscar host.
Seacrest has been one of dozens of men on the hotseat, following allegations of sexual misconduct.
The host interiewed a few stars on the carpet, including Best Supporting Actress nominee Allison Janney.
There were no obvious confrontations with the stars. And an E! spokesperson denied that Seacrest’s offerings had been delayed.
“It’s business as usual,” said the E! rep. “As always, we tape multiple sources of content simultaneously to deliver the best possible show, and there are often brief delays between interviews.”
An E! rep who did not want to be identified added: ”
“Of course there are conversations happening about today’s show but it’s nothing out of the ordinary planning and prep. The brief delays always vary show to show.”
The show is officially about to begin! All your quick commentary is coming from the movie-obsessed and hilarious people at NBC News — along with guest appearances from professional funny people and writers Brian Moylan and Anne T. Donahue. Follow along!
My son/precious angel Timothee Chalamet not only brought his (real) Mom as his date tonight, but got as emotional as I did when he got a message from his mentor/former drama teacher. All this before he threw his support down for public arts programs. May we all work to keep him safe and pure in this terrible world.
In January, when many actresses decided to wear black dresses to the Golden Globes as a comment on the #TimesUp movement, presenters on the red carpet dropped the staple question, “Who are you wearing?” It seemed gauche to ask about who designed the dress when the clothing was meant to say so much more.
At tonight’s Oscars it seems like both the red carpet coverage on E! and ABC’s official pre-show have dropped the question for good. Fashion obsessed E! is still talking about designers, having their commenters tell viewers about the fashion houses behind the best and works looks. As for the red carpet, hosts are asking actresses questions like, “You’re an inspiration to so many women and girls, which women inspired you?” Yeah, that’s progress. And it turns out, no one really misses, “Who are you wearing?”
— Brian Moylan
Whether or not Taraji P. Henson was simply speaking real truth or cursing Ryan Seacrest and everyone he loves is something we’ll never know for sure thanks to E!’s five-minute red carpet delay. Although, for the record, I will dream and speculate.
The Golden Globes are known for being rowdy booze-fest and Dame Helen Mirren is hoping to bring that vibe to the Oscars. She’s doing tequila shots on the red carpet. There is a reason this lady is the Queen, people.
— Brian Moylan
Unsurprisingly, Tiffany Haddish gave one of the only red carpet interviews any of us should care about when she promised she’d be seeking out Meryl Streep tonight so the two of them can “have a conversation.” I don’t care what they inevitably co-star in, but I can promise that I’ll singlehandedly see it 42 times.
Ryan Seacrest’s presence on the red carpet is the biggest storyline of the Oscars pre-show. The E! host was recently accused of sexual harassment by his former stylist, an allegation he has denied.
The allegations led to calls for Seacrest, a mainstay of E!’s coverage, to skip the event. E! also reportedly considered putting its live coverage on a delay in case he is confronted about the allegations during the pre-show.
The major question: Would stars stop to talk to Seacrest? Early on, Allison Janney, nominated for best supporting actress, and Christopher Plummer, nominated for best supporting actor, among others, spoke with Seacrest.
The 90th Academy Awards will be broadcast live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Jimmy Kimmel, who has been vocal in his disappointment with the Trump administration on his late-night ABC show, will host the Oscars for the second consecutive year.
How to watch on TV: Live on ABC at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
How to watch online and on OTT: The ceremony will be livestreamed through ABC Go and the ABC app, as well as the subscription-based services YouTube TV, Sling TV, DirecTVE and Playstation Vue.