Oscars to go ahead 'with no host' after Kevin Hart controversy over homophobic tweets

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The Oscars will have no host this year following the fallout involving Kevin Hart which saw him step down from the role, according to reports.

Producers will instead select A-list celebrities to present and introduce segments of the awards show, sources told entertainment magazine Variety.

It would be the first time the Academy Awards – which is in its 91st year – will have opted to do so in three decades.

With the awards night on February 24 just six weeks away, producers were reportedly scrambling to coordinate the celebrity line-up.

Kevin Hart will no longer present the star-studded bash
Getty Images

It comes after Hart, a comedian and actor, said he was “over” talking about whether he will host the major event.

Before the controversy over his tweets, Hart described the presenting gig as an “opportunity of a lifetime”.

He stepped down shortly after he was announced to be at the helm in December after offensive tweets from 2009 and 2011 resurfaced online.

Speculation persisted that Hart would change his mind and host the star-studded bash.

But pouring cold water over the idea, he told Good Morning America: “I'm done with it, it gets no more energy from me.

“And that's why I said it's the last time I'm addressing this. There is no more conversation about it.

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