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Jimmy Kimmel slims down to host Oscars for third time after finding out his tuxedo didn't fit

Jimmy Kimmel is hosting the Oscars for the third time on March 12 and he will be doing it in a slimmer body. 

The TV star shared he has lost weight through exercise and diet this year.

'I did have a very unfortunate moment where I tried to fit into the tuxedo I wore in 2018 and I didn't quite make it,' Kimmel, 55, told People.

'I looked a little bit like a homemade sausage, so I have been trying to lose some weight before the Oscars.'

And he's feeling the pain of deprivation. 'I've been getting these little meals in little Tupperware containers delivered to my house every morning,' he said. 'And I have to say, I never feel more sorry for myself than when everyone else is eating spaghetti and I'm eating some little tacos with no tortillas.'

Third time's the charm: Jimmy Kimmel, 55, will host the 95th annual Academy Awards March 12 and he'll be doing it in a slimmer and trimmer body

Third time's the charm: Jimmy Kimmel, 55, will host the 95th annual Academy Awards March 12 and he'll be doing it in a slimmer and trimmer body

Kimmel will wear a custom Tom Ford suit for the 95th Academy Awards, he shared. 'I don't want to show up onstage looking like Cocaine Bear, you know what I'm saying.'

And the broadcast is a family affair; Kimmel's wife Molly McNearny, 44, is an executive producer of the Oscar broadcast.

The Jimmy Kimmel Live host runs his monologue and other bits past his wife.

Kimmel joins Steve Martin, David Niven and Jerry Lewis as a three time Oscar host. 

'Being invited to host the Oscars for a third time is either a great honor or a trap,' Kimmel joked. 'Either way, I am grateful to the Academy for asking me so quickly after everyone good said no.'

'We're super thrilled to have Jimmy score his hat trick on this global stage,' executive producers and showrunners Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner said in a joint statement. 'We know he will be funny and ready for anything!'

Kimmel has hosted the show twice before, in 2017, when he managed the chaotic final moments in which the wrong best picture winner was called, and then the next year, which came just months into the #MeToo reckoning.

The funny man will now be tasked with boosting the anemic ratings of the once well watched awards show, which brought in just 15.36 million viewers last year, and a record-setting low of 10.4 million the year prior.

The show hit peak US viewership in 1998, when 55.2 million Americans tuned in to watch Titanic sweep the competition.

The slap: This year's broadcast marks the first time the Oscars will take place following the infamous 2022 show during which Will Smith went up on stage and slapped Chris Rock

The slap: This year's broadcast marks the first time the Oscars will take place following the infamous 2022 show during which Will Smith went up on stage and slapped Chris Rock

Family affair: Jimmy's wife Molly McNearney is an executive producer of the awards show

Family affair: Jimmy's wife Molly McNearney is an executive producer of the awards show

After the 90th Oscars in 2018, which Kimmel hosted to generally positive reviews, the Academy Awards went without a host until the 94th ceremony earlier this year when Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes shared the stage.

In 2017, the Kimmel-hosted awards show brought in 32.9 million US viewers. In 2018, that number plummeted to about 26.5 million - then a record low for the awards show, as the number of viewers dropped below 30 million.

Still, if ABC can achieve those numbers following last year's mere 15.36 million, they may very well call it a win.

As with network television across the board, ratings for Kimmel's late night show have steadily declined over the last half-decade or so.

Oscars redux: Kimmel previously hosted the Oscars in 2017 and 2018; seen with Courteney Cox this week

That decline, in Kimmel's case, may be broadly associated with his pivot toward the political during the Trump years. In 2016, Kimmel's show was averaging 2.2 million viewers a night. In 2022, he's plummeted to 1.5 million - shedding more than a third of his audience.

This year will also be the return of the show following the infamous Slap, which occurred when a riled up Will Smith - who would go on to win best actor last in the evening - assaulted Chris Rock for a joke he told about Smith's wife, Jada.

'Jimmy is the perfect host to help us recognize the incredible artists and films of our 95th Oscars,' added academy CEO Bill Kramer and academy President Janet Yang.

 'His love of movies, live TV expertise, and ability to connect with our global audiences will create an unforgettable experience for our millions of viewers worldwide.' 

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Jenniffer Sheldon

Update: 2024-05-08