Ricky Gervais will host Golden Globes ceremony

Ricky Gervais will return to host the 69th Golden Globes, marking the third consecutive year the English comedian has done the honors for the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.'s annual awards gala. The ceremony is set for Jan. 15 and will air on NBC.

A repeat appearance from Gervais had been rumored, but the news comes as something of a surprise, given Gervais' controversial turn at the podium back in January. He was criticized by some for taking jabs at Hollywood A-listers including Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie, among others, and for poking mean-spirited fun at troubled star Charlie Sheen and the HFPA itself.

Judging from a message Gervais issued on Twitter after the announcement, he's unlikley to play it any safer this time around: "Just told Billy Crystal he'd better not use any of my holocaust or pedophile material at The Oscars. He agreed (true)."

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Photo: Ricky Gervais and his partner, Jane Fallon, arrive to the 68th Golden Globes. Credit: Jay Clendenin/Los Angeles Times