Gervais Returns to Host Globes

UNIVERSAL CITY: Ricky Gervais will return to host the Golden Globe Awards in 2011, with the event taking place January 16 and set to air on NBC.

The 68th annual awards ceremony will air live coast-to-coast from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. PST/8 p.m. to 11 p.m. EST from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. The British comic, actor and director first hosted the show at the beginning of this year. He said of his return engagement: "I can’t believe they invited me back after the awful things I said. Let’s see how far I can go this time."

"As viewers discovered with our last awards telecast, Ricky’s surprising and unpredictable humor is a great fit for the Globes, which will continue as a live event across the nation," said Paul Telegdy, executive VP of alternative programming at NBC and Universal Media Studios. "He’s a true force of nature with a wicked sense of humor who always keeps everyone on their toes waiting for the unexpected."

Philip Berk, president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, added: "His combination of wit, irreverence, and spontaneity makes him the ideal host. He was fantastic last year, and he’ll be even better the second time around."

Gervais’s first Globes appearance gave NBC its largest non-sports viewership in the time period in six years. The special will be again be produced by dick clark productions in association with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.