It’s the question on the lips of literally all women and fey men who quite enjoy watching people get given little statues for doing impressions of dead singers – who will host this year’s Oscars?

Well, it looks like the answer to that question has been found. Now that Chris Rock has been ditched, and none of the others want to do it, the 2006 Oscars look set to be hosted by America’s Funniest Man Jon Stewart.

It’s expected that there’ll be a big announcement later today that
Jon Stewart (Books), host of The Daily Show, will also be the host of the 78th
Annual Academy Awards on March 5th. Newsday reports:

Academy
officials and longtime Oscar producer Gil Cates have settled on
Stewart, 43, who hosted the Grammy Awards in 2001 and 2002, the sources
said. One of the sources, who has first-hand knowledge of the
situation, said that officials contacted Stewart shortly before
Christmas and that the
deal was wrapped up in a flurry of activity a day or two before the
holiday.

The choice of Jon Stewart as host of the
Oscars seems to be another move by the Academy to try and attract
younger viewers to the ceremony in a bid to keep advertisers happy.
It’s a tactic tried last year by Chris Rock, who spent most of his time
on stage slagging off Jude Law to anyone who’d listen, until Sean Penn
came onstage and told Rock off for being a naughty boy.

That was infinitely more preferable to listening to Billy Crystal
singing a rubbish song about how brilliant the Oscars are, but it drew
enough complaints for Chris Rock not to be invited back as host again
this year.

Can Jon Stewart do any better? We’ll have to wait and see on
March 5th.

Read more:

Jon Stewart to host Oscars, sources say – Newsday 

[story by Stuart Heritage]