Golden Globes chiefs want to see script in advance

Ricky Gervais has been told he must submit his Golden Globes script to awards organisers before hosting the event on Sunday.

The comic apparently upset some of Hollywood’s biggest egos at last year’s ceremony, and bosses are keen to minimise any such controversy this time.

He will also rehearse his jokes on Saturday in front of members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which gives out the awards, as well as producers and NBC executives who can all request changes.

However, whether he accepts them is another matter.

A HFPA spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter: ‘You can't muzzle him and I don't think anybody has any desire to muzzle him.’

However in an interview on NBC’s Dateline last weekend, Gervais insisted: ‘They won’t know what I’m going to say until I say it.’

And his publicist told Chortle: 'He chooses to rehearse, as he did last year but leaves out or tones down anything he thinks they might not like. Then he says what he likes live. Just like last year.'

The live event will also be aired on NBC with a five-second delay so any bad language can be edited out.

Gervais has said of last year’s supposed storm: ‘I don't think anyone had any right to be offended but they were. This year I'm going to make sure their offence is completely justified.'

Published: 12 Jan 2012