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The Emmy Award-winning comedian and former Late Night legend Conan O'Brien will officially host the 98th Oscars (perABC News).

After hosting an unforgettable ceremony last year, O'Brien is setting his sights on taking the 2026 Oscars up a notch, promising that "there'll be some explosions" on Sunday night, March 15, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

Hollywood is already gearing up for the high-stakes evening, andOscar nominationsare already out, betting on none other than O'Brien to lead the major event with his unique, self-deprecating, and high-energy style.

Why Conan O'Brien? The Academy's Strategic Choice

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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) moved past its Jimmy Kimmel era and tapped Conan O'Brien to host the annualOscarsfor a second year (perThe Guardian).

The Academy announced that they were "thrilled" that the 62-year-old comedian and longtime TV host will be hosting the 98th Academy Awards in 2026, along with TV show producers Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney and executive producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan.

Ampas's decision to move towards a more versatile, globally recognized comedian is perfectly strategic. His ability to handle live broadcasting, improvise, and large-scale comedy is rare in the industry, and his contributions to Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons proved his aptitude for entertaining beyond doubt.

Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy president Janet Yang previously stated that working closely with O'Brien in 2025 was "an honour" and that he "was the perfect host – skilfully guiding us through the evening with humour, warmth and reverence".

O'Brien, on the other hand, has a less serious incentive for hosting the nearly century-old ceremony. "The only reason I'm hosting the Oscars next year is that I want to hear Adrien Brody finish his speech," he joked, referring to Brody's five-minute, forty-second acceptance speech on winning the Oscar for best actor.

Conan's Hosting Resume: Is He Ready for the Oscars?

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Conan O'Brien has a decades-old Late Night legacy that qualifies him for hosting the most prestigious awards in Hollywood. The Harvard Lampoon alumnus hosted Late Night with Conan O'Brien from 1993 to 2009, The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien from 2009 to 2010, and Conan from 2010 to 2021.

Moreover, the maverick TV personality previously hosted the Emmys in 2002 and did "a tremendous job," according to Dick Askin, chairman of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (perLos Angeles Times).

Image credits:teamcobrien / Instagram

He also returned for the Emmys in 2006 and later announced hosting the MTV Movie Awards in 2014, joking, "After eight years of intense negations, I am honoured to announce I am hosting MTV's second most prestigious awards show" (perBBC).

O'Brien's experience with live television makes him a safe yet exciting pair of hands for the 98th Oscars. His portfolio is already solid for hosting the big night, but his quick-witted, sharp-tongued persona promises to keep everyone glued to their screen on March 15.

What to Expect from the 98th Oscars with Conan O'Brien

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The Late Night alum is expected to take this year's show to the next level with his signature style: awkwardly absurdist and surprisingly self-deprecating. Having worked with legendary writers like Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney for decades, O'Brien is likely to blend polished monologue jokes with the kind of unpredictable, "on-the-street" energy that made his travel shows global hits.

Audiences should also keep an eye out for potential cameos from his Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend podcast regulars or his longtime sidekick Andy Richter, which could bring a fresh, modern dynamic to the Dolby Theatre stage.

The seasoned TV host, comedian, and writer is expected to masterfully handle the momentous "Best Picture" announcement and other potential viral moments — just like he did last year.

"Conan delivered an unforgettable performance at 'The Oscars,' and we're honored to have him and the producing team back next year," stated Craig Erwich, president of Disney Television Group (perAcademy Press Office). "Conan's unique comedic style perfectly captured the moment, and I'm excited to have his talents back onstage next year to helm another indelible performance."

History of Oscar Hosts: Where Does Conan Stand?

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By hosting the upcoming 98th Oscars, Conan O'Brien is joining a long roster of legends in the Academy Awards history who made the ceremony unforgettable, including Bob Hope, who hosted the Academy Awards a record 19 times (perThe New York Historical), Billy Crystal, nine times (perPEOPLE), and Ellen DeGeneres, two times (perCNN).

Now that O'Brien has officially taken the reins for the second time, he joins an elite roster of legends, following in the footsteps of Jimmy Kimmel, who successfully helmed the show four times (2017, 2018, 2023, and 2024).

While the Kimmel era brought stability and classic late-night vibes, the Academy's transition to O'Brien signals a move toward a more absurdist, high-energy comedic style that resonates across both traditional TV and the digital podcast generation (perRolling Stone).

Image credits:teamcobrien / Instagram

O'Brien said that he already started writing and rehearsing for the Oscars, arguably one of the most thankless gigs in Hollywood. "I started writing a while ago," he shared in a candid interview withThe New Yorker.

The Late Night host continued, "Ideas are like R.A.F. pilots in 1940. You have to generate a lot of them. A lot of them fall by the wayside, and then some endure. And so we've been going for a while. We've got a great writers' room, and I've already started going to clubs to try out material, which is really fun. It's good to keep you in shape or get you ready."

Besides preparing the right tone and attitude to handle the Oscars this year, O'Brien will also ensure that he steals some hearts on Hollywood's big night.

Image credits:teamcobrien / Instagram

"Yeah, mostly cosmetic," he responded when asked if he had done any work for the approaching Oscars, as reported byGood Morning America. "I want to look like Oscar on Oscar night. Yeah. So, I've had a lot of areas smoothed, some removed. Um, that's going to be good.

The five-time Emmy Award winner admitted that he feels nervous about "unplanned disaster happening," such as getting slapped, ever since the viral Will Smith incident.

"Well, you know, I don't want anyone to slap me," he joked.

The Countdown to March 15

Image credits:The Academy / Facebook

As Hollywood prepares for its most prestigious night, all eyes are on Conan O'Brien to prove himself as a competent Oscar host for the second year in a row.

The gifted comedian and spontaneous TV host now stands as the perfect bridge between traditional Hollywood and digital and podcast-era fans. He has already won over audiences of pure hosting gold during his nearly three-decade career, while his spontaneous style and deadpan humor ensure that younger crowds are equally entertained.

O'Brien already hosted the 2025 Oscars and made it look easy, and it seems he is aiming for the stars for the upcoming ceremony, even though hosting the Oscars can be a low-reward gig.

Image credits:teamcobrien / Instagram

The talk show alum is aware that hosting a TV show is very different from hosting a once-in-a-year ceremony, both in how he handles it and the type of reward.

"There's a lot of chatter about how it's a thankless task to host one of these shows," he toldiHollywoodTV. "I didn't find that to be true. I just found it to be a fun gig. And I enjoyed it. I had a lovely evening and [music] had a lot of laughs, and so that's why I wanted to do it again."

O'Brien has already done his homework to ensure no one is let down during one of the most important nights in show business. He expressed eagerness to "lift people up" and honor the entire entertainment community, not just the Hollywood royalty (perPEOPLE).

Image credits:conan_obrien_ / Instagram

"It's a celebration of an entire industry and people from every walk of life who give their blood, sweat, and tears for show business," he said. Finally, O'Brien promised that for this year's show, he will deliver the Oscar-level performance everyone is looking for: "I don't want to let America down."

🔔Stay Tuned for Hollywood's Biggest Night!We are gearing up for a massive Live Oscars 2026 Coverage event! Mark your calendars for March 15th, we'll be right here with real-time winner updates, red carpet fashion galleries, and expert analysis of every viral moment. Check back soon for our official live-tracking page!

A man who became the focus of online sleuths interested in the Nancy Guthrie case spoke to The New York Times about living in fear after his name began circulating

NEED TO KNOW

• Dominic Evans, an elementary school teacher who has never been named a suspect by law enforcement and who hasn't been contacted by police for weeks, says several people showed up outside his house believing he was a person of interest

• Evans told the paper he was bandmates with Guthrie's son-in-law but that he had only met her once

The lack of answers surrounding the apparent kidnapping ofNancy Guthriehas had real-life consequences for an Arizona man who became the focus of several online sleuths.

Dominic Evans, a fifth-grade teacher and a bandmate of Guthrie's son-in-law, spoke toThe New York Timesabout his nightmarish experience since his name began circulating online as a potential suspect in the search for the missing 84-year-old — despite the fact that law enforcement never named him one.

"I feel like someone's taken my name," Evans told theTimes. But for what reasons? "I don't know — monetary, clickbait, to be relevant, entertainment — but there are innocent people that get hurt."

According to theTimes,Evans spoke to law enforcement once in the wake of Guthrie's disappearance, weeks ago, and has not been contacted since.

Regardless, Evans said he became the target of significant online speculation.

After his name emerged online, Evans, who only met Guthrie once, told the paper that he and his wife, a school principal, were too afraid to pick up their son from his grandmother's home and that they hid in their bedroom with the lights off.

Further, theTimesreported, when a SWAT team was dispatched to a home two weeks after Guthrie vanished, Evans said several people showed up outside his home thinking that's where the team was heading. In reality, they had been sent to search a home 30 minutes away.

"This one felt really, really, really scary, because it was like everyone was waiting for someone to come to our house," Evans reportedly said.

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TheTimesspoke to Chris Nanos, the Pima County Sheriff, about Evans' experiences.

"He's going through hell, and it is horrible," Sheriff Nanos said. "And I don't know what to tell him except he probably should be speaking with some attorneys and sue some of these people for libel."

The paper reported that Evans' name emerged because of his connection to Tommaso Cioni, Guthrie's son-in-law, who also has been a target of speculation online.

Nanos has since ruled out Guthrie's family members as suspects.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE's free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Guthrie, the mother ofTodayco-hostSavannah Guthrie, was reported missing on Feb. 1 after she failed to show up for church.

She is believed by authorities to have been kidnapped and law enforcement has since circulatedsurveillance footageshowing a masked, armed person appearing to tamper with Nancy's doorbell camera outside her home in Tucson, Ariz.

The Guthrie family is offering a reward of up to $1 million for information that leads to Nancy's recovery, while the FBI is offering a reward of$100,000.

Read the original article onPeople

Harry Stylesspeaks abouthairlinerumors andwigspeculations. The former One Direction member showed off his impeccable sense of humor when he appeared on Brittany Broski's "Royal Court" on Wednesday, February 25. Notably, Styles' fourth studio album, Kiss All The Time, Disco, Occasionally, reportedly drops on March 6. It is a follow-up to the singer's 2022 album, Harry's House.

Harry Styles talks about his hairline

Harry Stylesaddresses hairline rumors and wig speculations on Brittany Broski's "Royal Court." The topic came up when Broski asked Styles if his teeth were fake, to which he replied, "No." However, he flaunted his incredible wit and sense of humor with the comment, "This hairline, though," prompting Broski to burst out laughing.

For those unversed, four years ago,DeuxMoipublished a blind item that claimed an "A-list musician / occasional actor" had gone "almost completely bald" and was wearing a wig to cover his bald dome. The blind item further stated, "His hairpiece is so lifelike that only a good eye could pick it out, and that's on a bad day. However, he doesn't take it off and clean it enough."

At the time, a major chunk of fans assumed the blind item was referring to the "Watermelon Sugar" hitmaker. In fact, the 32-year-old singer touched upon rumors about his hair in 2022 when he revealed toRolling Stone magazinethat his collaborator, Kid Harpoon, was "obsessed" with all the discourse.

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Styles remarked, "He won't stop sending me messages about [people] trying to work out if I'm bald." The former One Direction member clarified at the time that he wasn't balding. He shared, "What is it with baldness? … It skips a generation or something, right? If your grandad's bald, then you'll be bald? Well, my granddad wasn't bald, so fingers crossed."

In other news, the "Aperture" singer announced the "Together, Together" global residency on January 22. This impending tour includes 50 shows across seven cities (viaPEOPLE).

The 32-year-old global pop star will perform shows spanning across cities, including Amsterdam, London, São Paulo, Mexico City, New York, Melbourne, and Sydney from May through December. Interestingly, Styles will perform a whopping 30 shows at Madison Square Garden in the United States.

Originally reported by Anwaya Mane onMandatory.

The postHarry Styles Addresses Viral Hairline Rumorsappeared first onReality Tea.

LONDON (AP) — A second British island voted Thursday to approve assisted dying, as asimilar billthat would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales to choose to end their lives is bogged down in the British Parliament.

The bill, which requires the formality of approval by King Charles III, would allow terminally ill residents who have lived in Jersey for more than year and are expected to have less than six months to live — or less than 12 months if they have a neurodegenerative disease — to end their lives.

Jersey's States Assembly passed its Assisted Dying Law by a 32 to 16 vote after three days of debate.

The bill would allow a doctor or registered nurse to administer the lethal drugs, which differs from the legislation being considered in the Houses of Parliament that requires a terminally ill adult to end their own life with an approved substance.

Opponents of assisted dying have argued that disabled, elderly, ill and depressed people could be pressured to end their lives so they're not a burden on others.

Jersey, an island of about 100,000 inhabitants that sits in the English Channel off the northwest coast of France, is the second British Crown possession to approve assisted dying.

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TheIsle of Man did so in Marchlast year, but it has waited nearly a year for the king's approval because it first requires the U.K. Ministry of Justice to process the legislation.

A government spokesperson said approval can take longer for complex or sensitive bills or because of legal and constitutional issues.

Both small islands are self-governing but reliant on the U.K. for defense and some foreign affairs.

The House of Commons in London approved The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in June but it has been held up by more than 1,000 amendments in the House of Lords, which supporters says is a stalling tactic by opponents. Some members of the chamber, however, say they are providing necessary scrutiny to strengthen the dangerous bill.

Welsh lawmakers gave their consent Tuesday for the U.K. Parliament to pass the bill.

Scottish lawmakers are due to vote in March on their own assisted dying bill.

CHICAGO (AP) — Cross-countrymemorial servicesfor the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. are set to begin Thursday in Chicago, the city the late civil rights leader called home.

Jesse Jackson Memorial

The protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. andtwo-time presidential candidatewill lie in repose for two days at the headquarters of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition before events in Washington, D.C., andSouth Carolina, where he was born.

"The outpouring of love and support received from around the globe has been abundant and deeply felt," Jackson's family members said in a recent statement.

Jacksondied last weekat age 84 after battling arare neurological disorderthat affected his mobility and ability to speak in his later years.

Remembrances have already poured infrom around the globe,and several U.S. states, including Minnesota, Iowa and North Carolina, are flying flags at half-staff in his honor.

But perhaps nowhere has his death been felt as strongly as in the nation's third-largest city, where Jackson lived for decades and raised his six children, including a son who is a congressman.

Bouquets have been left outside the family's Tudor-style home on the city's South Side for days. Public schools have offered condolences, and city trains have used digital screens to display Jackson's portrait and his well-known mantra, "I am Somebody!"

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His causes, both in the United States and abroad, were countless: Advocating for the poor and underrepresented on issues including voting rights, job opportunities, education and health care. He scored diplomatic victories with world leaders, and through his Rainbow PUSH Coalition, he channeled cries for Black pride and self-determination into corporate boardrooms, pressuring executives to make America a more open and equitable society.

"We honor him, and his hard-earned legacy as a freedom fighter, philosopher, and faithful shepherd of his family and community here in Chicago," Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement.

Next week, Jackson willlie in honor at the South Carolina Statehouse, followed by public services. According to Rainbow PUSH's agenda, Gov. Henry McMaster is expected to deliver remarks, however the governor's office said Thursday that his participation wasn't yet confirmed. Jackson spent his childhood and started his activism in South Carolina.

Details on services in Washington have not yet been made public. However, he will not lie in honor at the United States Capitol rotunda after arequest for the commemoration was deniedby the House Speaker Mike Johnson's office.

The two weeks of events will wrap up next week with a large celebration of life gathering at a Chicago megachurch and finally, homegoing services at the headquarters of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

Family members said the services will be open to all.

"His life is broad enough to cover the full spectrum of what it means to be American," his eldest son,Jesse Jackson Jr., told reporters recently. "We only ask people to come and be respectful in context of the extraordinary life he lived."

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Cuba said its forces fatally shot four heavily armed people attempting to "infiltrate" its territory on a Florida-registered speedboat on Wednesday, amid simmering tensions between the communist island and the US.

Cuban border guard troops approached the boat after it entered their territorial waters in Falcones Cay, Villa Clara province, just over 100 miles from Florida, the country's interior ministry said in a statement.

A passenger on the speedboat shot at the Cuban vessel, wounding its commander, and prompting Cuban forces to return fire, according to the statement. Six other people aboard the speedboat were wounded and are in custody and receiving medical attention.

The passengers were Cuban residents of the US and were armed with assault rifles, handguns and Molotov cocktails, and had "intended to carry out an infiltration for terrorist purposes," according to a later statement from the ministry.

Two of the surviving passengers were previously wanted by Cuba for terrorism, the ministry added.

The vessel was not carrying US government personnel and was not on a US government operation, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier.

The registration number given by Cuban authorities, FL7726SH, matched a 24-foot power boat that was manufactured in 1981, according to maritime database records.

Another individual who was sent from the US to "facilitate the reception of the armed infiltration" was arrested and has since confessed, the Cuban interior ministry statement said. CNN has reached out to the White House regarding the latest Cuban statement.

The shootout comes amidheightened tensionsbetween the US and Cuba. Following the US ousting in January of Venezuelan leader and Cuban ally Nicolás Maduro, the administration of US President Donald Trump has set its sights on Cuba, blocking all oil deliveries to the island and talking of regime change.

The blockade has brought Cuba's economy to its knees, with the Caribbean nation experiencing its worst era ofeconomic uncertaintyin decades and the UN warning of a potential humanitarian "collapse."

The USeased the embargo slightlyon Wednesday, saying it would grant licenses to private Cuban entities looking to resell oil from Venezuela, the main supplier of crude and fuel to the Cuban market. That market is largely dominated by the public sector.

Cuba has clashed with US boats before

Cuba's forces have engaged in skirmishes with US boats entering its waters in the past, though it is rare to see deadly shootouts on this scale.

Havana's ministry of the interior said itintercepted 13 US speedboatsin 2022 with 23 crew members who it accused of "carrying out human trafficking operations" taking people from Cuba to the US.

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The north coast of Villa Clara province, where the speedboat was intercepted on Wednesday, is known for its white-sand beaches, shallow waters and sandbars. The US Coast Guard has previously intercepted speedboats off its coast that it said were carrying illegal migrants to the US, which is home to a Cuban exile community largely opposed to the island's communist government.

The fatal shooting comes just one day after the 30-year anniversary of when theCuban military downed two planesbelonging to the Cuban-American humanitarian organization Brothers to the Rescue over the waters north of Havana, killing four.

Earlier this month, Trumpextended a Clinton-era emergency measure, enacted after Cuba shot down the planes, which allows US authorities to board any vessel which may be headed toward Cuba.

Nearly one million Cubans have fled to the US in recent years, withthousands attemptingthe perilous sea journey to Florida in makeshift vessels. However, unlike previous Republican and Democratic administrations, which generally treated Cubans as political refugees and gave them a unique fast track to US residency,Trump has deported Cubansin record numbers.

US officials call for investigation

Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US embassy in Havana was looking into the incident after being informed of it by Cuban authorities. The Department of Homeland Security and the US Coast Guard are also involved.

"We're going to find out exactly what happened here and then we'll respond accordingly," said Rubio, who was in the region on an official visit to Saint Kitts and Nevis.

"Suffice it to say, it is highly unusual to see shootouts on open sea like that," he added. "It's something, frankly, that hasn't happened over Cuba in a very long time."

Officials from Florida called for an investigation and for the Cuban government to be held accountable.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said he has directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to help federal, state, and law enforcement authorities begin an investigation.

US Republican Congressman Carlos A. Gimenez, whose district includes the southern tip of Florida, said the incident raised concerns about the use of lethal force against people aboard a US-registered vessel and called for an investigation into the incident.

"United States authorities must determine whether any of the victims were US citizens or legal residents and establish exactly what occurred," he said in a statement posted to X. "The regime in Cuba must be relegated to the dustbin of history for its countless crimes against humanity."

Republican Senator Rick Scott, also from Florida, called the incident "deeply concerning" and said the Cuban government "must be held accountable."

CNN's Max Saltman, Patrick Oppmann and Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.

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New reports suggest thatKanye West's wife,Bianca Censori, had once come close to walking away from their marriage. According to sources, the couple had reportedly been on the verge of divorce amid the rapper's controversial past behaviours.

Sources suggest Bianca Censori was planning to leave Kanye West

Rumors of separation have long surroundedKanye Westand Bianca Censori. A recent report byThe Sunhas now suggested that the couple once came close to getting a divorce. A source close to the couple claimed that an act of 'extreme bravery' kept them from calling it quits.

Censori had reportedly opened up to her friends about her strained relationship with West. The Australian architect had reportedly given an ultimatum to her husband, after which the couple began to attend couple counselling sessions and also visit an exclusive rehabilitation clinic in Spain. The "Gold Digger" rapper had since allegedly worked on fixing their marriage.

"This time last year they were headed for divorce," the insider stated. "In an act of extreme bravery, Bianca agreed to give her husband one more chance. His self-destructive behaviour, his manic mind packed with creative ideas, complicated thoughts, and a unique outlook on the world, have made it near impossible."

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The source continued, "But she has been the driving force for Kanye to seek help after meltdowns, and she wants to stick by him despite all the moments of stress, upset, and near splits." They added, "Of course, family members are concerned, and worried that he could still ruin her life and wreck her career chances, but she has been inspired to make it work by a sense of partnership, pure friendship, and passionate desire. She is stubborn and intent on standing her ground."

Last month, another source toldPEOPLEthat Censori had been unhappy for a while. "Bianca had been very unhappy in their marriage for a while and tried to get out a number of times," they stated.

For now, West and Censori's marriage appears to be on the mend. The rapper has often credited his wife for supporting him through his mental health struggles.

Originally reported by Namrata Ghosh onMandatory.

The postKanye West's Wife Was On Verge of Leaving Him a Year Ago — Sourceappeared first onReality Tea.