Nikki Glaser Warns ‘Everyone Is Fair Game’ As Golden Globes Hosting Nears

Nikki Glaser is once again stepping into one of Hollywood’s most high-pressure roles as she prepares to host the Golden Globe Awards for the second year in a row, and she’s making it clear that no celebrity in the room is off-limits. The 41-year-old comedian, who earned praise for her Golden Globes hosting debut last year, is returning to the stage tonight, Sunday, January 11, and says she plans to approach the night with the same fearless humor that made her first turn a success.

Glaser acknowledged that certain celebrities are often viewed as untouchable, but she isn’t letting that dictate her approach. “Everyone is fair game. I really feel that way,” Glaser told PEOPLE. “I was even thinking, like, ‘Oh, I’ll leave plus ones alone, they don’t deserve it. They’re not there being honored,’ but I feel like (that’s fair).”

She continued, “There’s some people that are protected figures, and, like, other people might get upset on their behalf, but that’s really none of my business, and if the person that I’m doing the joke to laughs, I think that’s a reason enough for me to do it.”

While she’s not holding back, Glaser also emphasized that her humor isn’t rooted in cruelty. “I’m not gonna be so mean that anyone is going to hate me for the rest of their careers, or I’m gonna have to avoid them the rest of mine,” she explained. “I’m writing from a place of love, and I wouldn’t do a joke about someone that I actually didn’t like.”

According to Glaser, any celebrity who becomes the subject of her jokes should take it as a compliment.

“So if I do write a joke about you or do a joke to you, it’s because I admire you and I think you are probably cool and have a good sense of humor,” she said. “I don’t do jokes about people who I just don’t think are cool, and that I don’t really even care to talk to or give the time of day.”

During the roast, Glaser took direct aim at Tom Brady’s personal life, particularly his highly publicized divorce from supermodel Gisele Bündchen. The former couple filed for divorce in October 2022 after 13 years of marriage, a subject Glaser wasted no time turning into punchlines. “Tom Brady, five-time Super Bowl MVP, most career wins, most career touchdowns, you have seven rings − well, eight now that Gisele gave hers back,” Glaser said during the roast.

She then doubled down with another sharp jab that quickly went viral. “Do you guys know about his diet program? It is so strict. But if you follow it exactly as he does, you too can lose your family,” she joked.

With Glaser making it clear that “everyone is fair game,” speculation is already swirling about which headline-making figures could end up as punchlines during this year’s Golden Globes.

One name generating recent controversy is Nicki Minaj. The rapper has faced renewed backlash following her appearance at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest on December 21 in Phoenix. In the aftermath, an online petition calling for Minaj’s deportation gained traction, amassing tens of thousands of signatures. The petition criticizes her alignment with Turning Point USA and the Trump administration and urges that she be sent back to Trinidad, her home country.