Oscars 2026: Jonathan Ross’s ITV Hosting Draws Fire from Viewers
The 2026 Academy Awards broadcast on ITV, helmed by veteran talk show host Jonathan Ross, has faced a significant backlash from viewers Down Under. For the third consecutive year, Ross has been at the helm of the live coverage, joined by a panel to dissect the nominees, offer predictions, and recap the night’s winners. However, the consensus among the Australian audience appears to be that the hosting has failed to impress, with many taking to social media to voice their dissatisfaction.
Ross, 65, was joined for this year’s broadcast by a panel that included rising presenter Elle Osili-Wood, BAFTA-nominated writer and producer Samson Kayo, and TikTok sensation Fred Asquith. Despite the promising lineup, the coverage was widely criticised for what many perceived as a “terrible” handling of the event.
Pronunciation Pains and Panel Pundits
One of the most frequently cited criticisms was Ross’s apparent struggle with pronouncing the names of several Hollywood stars. Social media platforms buzzed with comments from frustrated viewers.
- @spideyleclerc on X (formerly Twitter) expressed a common sentiment: “if Jonathan Ross could learn how to pronounce everyone’s names that would be wonderful.”
- @ismisecolleen echoed this, questioning, “is jonathan ross intentionally pronouncing everyone’s name strangely.”
- A user named @awfulcuppa even proposed a drinking game, stating, “might start a drinking game where I take a shot every time jonathan ross pronounces a name weird.”
The criticism, however, extended beyond pronunciation gaffes. A significant portion of the audience felt the panel lacked in-depth knowledge of the nominated films. @Micha3lMichael blasted the panel, claiming they appeared to have “only watched One Battle After Another and Sinners,” suggesting a limited engagement with the year’s cinematic offerings.
@charlesj1234 agreed, labelling the coverage and the chosen panel as “just embarrassing.” The user further elaborated, “Jonathan Ross doesn’t have a scooby what’s going on and the fact the panel called Amy Madigan’s win a surprise sums it up really…” This comment followed Amy Madigan’s win for Best Supporting Actress for her role in “Weapons,” a performance for which she had also recently received an Actor Award.
Viewer Frustration and Calls for Ad Breaks
The sentiment of dissatisfaction was palpable, with many viewers expressing a desire for a more straightforward broadcast. @plamalamsy directly appealed to ITV, writing, “Jonathan Ross and his analysis. Please do better, ITV.”
Similarly, @YesitsAlistair implored ITV, “please show us adverts, I don’t want to hear Jonathan Ross giving his take on every Oscar win.” The sentiment was amplified by @FoxieLoxie, who bluntly demanded, “Just give us the Oscars feed and nothing else.”
On-Air Blunders and Awkward Moments
The broadcast was marred by several on-air blunders attributed to Ross. In one instance, he reportedly muttered “F**k” when he mistakenly believed the broadcast had cut back to Los Angeles, shortly after confusing Javier Bardem with Benicio del Toro.
Adding to the awkwardness, Ross seemed to prematurely suggest that veteran actress Amy Madigan’s career might be winding down following her win. After her Best Supporting Actress award for “Weapons,” he commented, “That’s a lovely, kind of, end to her story … not that it is the end of her story!” This remark was met with a sharp rebuke from Osili-Wood, who retorted, “They don’t take her out the back and shoot her!” to which Ross defensively replied, “You know what I mean.”
Technical Difficulties Plague the Start
Adding to the initial woes, the ITV1 Oscars coverage was seemingly plagued by technical issues right from the outset. A series of jarring audio glitches disrupted the opening moments of the ceremony for millions of viewers.
Just minutes into the show, viewers struggled to comprehend Conan O’Brien’s opening monologue due to the faulty sound. @ctrlalteilish voiced the frustration of many, tweeting, “can itv fix the sound wtf.” Another user, @FxndiErratas21, questioned, “what in the beep is going on at the #ITV #Oscars live stream.”
Fortunately, the audio issues were resolved relatively quickly, allowing viewers to enjoy the rest of the ceremony without further technical interruptions, apart from the inevitable commercial breaks that brought viewers back to Ross’s commentary.
A Look Ahead to the 98th Academy Awards
Last year’s Academy Awards ceremony garnered a combined audience of five million viewers across ITV1 and ITVX, indicating significant public interest in the event. The 98th Academy Awards were anticipated to be another major draw.
Ahead of the glittering ceremony, Jonathan Ross had shared his predictions with “The One Show.” He noted that the Best Picture award was a “toss-up” between “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners.” Ross suggested “Sinners” might resonate more strongly in the United States due to its American setting and themes, while acknowledging “One Battle After Another” as a “very interesting and timely film.”
He also predicted Michael B. Jordan for Best Actor and Jessie Buckley for Best Actress for her role in “Hamnet.”
It was noted that for the fifth consecutive year, there were no British nominees in any of the acting categories. Wunmi Mosaku was a nominee for Best Supporting Actress for “Sinners,” but the award ultimately went to Amy Madigan. Delroy Lindo, born in London but now an American citizen, was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for “Sinners” but lost out to Sean Penn for “One Battle After Another.”
Full List of Oscar 2026 Winners:
- Best Picture: One Battle After Another
- Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
- Best Actress: Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
- Best Actor: Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
- Best Supporting Actor: Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
- Best Supporting Actress: Amy Madigan – Weapons
- Best Casting: One Battle After Another
- Adapted Screenplay: One Battle After Another
- Original Screenplay: Sinners
- Editing: One Battle After Another
- Cinematography: Sinners
- Production Design: Frankenstein
- Visual Effects: Avatar: Fire and Ash
- Costume Design: Frankenstein
- Makeup and Hair: Frankenstein
- Original Score: Sinners
- Original Song: Golden from K-Pop Demon Hunters
- Sound: F1
- International Feature: Sentimental Value
- Documentary Feature: Mr. Nobody Against Putin
- Documentary Short: All the Empty Rooms
- Animated Feature: K-Pop Demon Hunters
- Animated Short: The Girl Who Cried Pearls
- Live-Action Short: Tied: The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva
The 98th Academy Awards, despite its star-studded nominees and anticipated cinematic triumphs, was largely overshadowed by viewer dissatisfaction with the ITV broadcast, particularly the hosting and commentary provided by Jonathan Ross and his panel.
