Nikki Glaser Vows Fresh Leonardo DiCaprio Roast for Golden Globes Monologue

One joke can light up the room, calm the nerves, and win over viewers at home. Another can drown in groans or, worse, feel like it is recycling the internet's greatest hits. That is why, as she prepares to host the 2026 Golden Globe Awards for the second consecutive year, the comedian is already mapping out what she will not say about Leonardo DiCaprio and what she might risk saying instead.

Returning to the Golden Globes stage on 11 January, Glaser told People she is drawing a line under the well-worn material many audiences expect, especially the jokes circling his dating history. 'I don't think I'm going to go with the Leo jokes we've heard 25 times', she revealed. 'I think we've all heard that — that's been done enough'.

The 'Heard 25 Times' Joke Nikki Glaser is Binning

She said the room will be scarier than last year, not just because of the cameras but also because of who will be in front of her. 'There's lots to joke about this year — and the star power in the room is going to be bigger than ever. I mean, it's bigger than last year', she says. 'I kind of have to keep wrapping my head around the kind of people that are going to be present in this room'.

DiCaprio, 51, is an obvious focal point for any monologue, and Glaser acknowledged he is still firmly on her radar. But she drew a line under the well-worn material many audiences expect, especially the jokes circling his dating history.

Glaser's challenge is not whether she can land a joke about DiCaprio, but whether she can land one that feels original while still fair. 'My goal is always to try to not do what's expected or try to challenge myself to not say the thing that people are going to expect and try something else', she explains.

That 'something else' still has to work in the room, where the people being joked about are only metres away. Glaser said she is trying to thread the needle between a sharp line and a line that sounds mean-spirited, especially when the target is someone she respects. 'That's going to be the challenge this year, is just finding anything else about him that is right for mockery, but not mockery'.

She also made clear that admiration can be part of the licence to tease. 'Also, he's a legend and was incredible in One Battle [After Another]', she adds. 'So that's also the other thing — as long as I really like these people and respect what they do, I can get away with saying something negative'.

The 'Vape Pen' and New Targets

If Glaser is skipping the obvious DiCaprio jokes, she is still looking for details that feel current, specific, and easy for audiences at home to picture. She quipped about DiCaprio, whose latest film, One Battle After Another, led the nominations among movies this year, 'I mean, Leo's vape pen is going to be there. So excited to see that.'

Glaser also hinted she will broaden the target list beyond movie stars, pointing to how the show itself is evolving. 'There's going to be some big, big hitters in the room, and there are podcasts this year, which is also going to be a hilarious thing to joke about', she said at The Hollywood Reporter's Annual Women in Entertainment Gala.

The news that she would return as host was announced in March, and she previously described the experience as 'without a doubt the most fun I have ever had in my career'. 'I can't wait to do it again, and this time in front of the team from The White Lotus, who will finally recognise my talent and cast me in season 4 as a Scandinavian Pilates instructor with a shadowy past'.

The 83rd annual Golden Globe Awards will take place at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on Sunday, 11 January at 8 p.m. EST, airing on CBS and streaming on Paramount.