Entertainmentuk-entertainment-newsOscars nominationsAcademy Awards 2014

Oscars 2014: Ellen Degeneres Fares Brilliantly As Host, Treating A-Listers Like Friends At A Party

The 7 Moments That Made Ellen The Oscars Hostess With Mostest
Caroline Frost
|

Ellen Degeneres brought her distinctive charm to the Oscars, making her second round of hosting duties a triumph of humour, warmth and general ability to laugh at the whole thing.

In an evening she conducted with panache throughout, here were, arguably, her best bits:

Open Image Modal

At one point, Ellen was ordering in the pizzas, and handing them out

  1. Congratulating the Liza Minelli impersonator, until she 'realised' it was, in fact, Liza Minelli.

  2. Picking on Jennifer Lawrence from the beginning, cleverly leaning on J-Law's own popularity, and ability to trip up (again!) and still be laughing - until Ellen found her own rhythm.

  3. The neat little gag about people missing their mark - all delivered while half-way out of shot, and then walking back in.

  4. Wandering around the auditorium, greeting A-listers like old friends, which most of them are.

Open Image Modal

A kiss from Bradley Cooper seals a cracking night for Ellen

  • This casual approach culminating in ordering in a pizza, and handing it out, albeit only to the proper royal rows. You could tell Brad Pitt is a father of six, the way he commandeered the plates and was handing them out to the likes of Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, and a keen-to-be-in-on-it Kevin Spacey who kept popping up from a few rows further back.

  • Running on in another costume change - this time crown, wings, wand, etc - in time for the 'Wizard of Oz' celebration. Proper old school, but still got a laugh.

  • THAT selfie - no words, and even the discovery that it was some stunningly-contrived stunt by Samsung didn't destroy the power of the moment, when A-listers turned into just another bunch of F'book tweenies.

    • COMPLETE LIST of This Year's Oscar Winners here...

    2014 Oscars Red Carpet
    Sandra Bullock(01 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:Getty Images)
    Jennifer Lawrence(02 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Sandra Bullock(03 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:Getty Images)
    Penelope Cruz(04 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:Getty Images)
    Cate Blanchett(05 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:Getty Images)
    Lady Gaga(06 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:Getty Images)
    Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie(07 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Jessica Biel(08 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Lupita Nyong'o(09 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Amy Adams(10 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Jared Leto(11 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Olivia Wilde(12 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Matthew McConaughey(13 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:Getty Images)
    Calista Flockhart(14 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Jared Leto(15 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Naomi Watts(16 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Glen Close(17 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Benedict Cumberbatch(18 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Penelope Cruz(19 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:Getty Images)
    Goldie Hawn(20 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Kelly Osbourne(21 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    TV personality Kelly Osbourne attends the Oscars held at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 2, 2014 in Hollywood, California. (Steve Granitz/WireImage) (credit:Steve Granitz/WireImage)
    Laura Dern(22 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Tyson Beckford(23 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Julie Delpy(24 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    June Squibb(25 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Anna Kendrick(26 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Kelly Ripa(27 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Amy Adams(28 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Kristen Bell in Cavalli, Piaget, Brian Atwood Ferragamo(29 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
    Portia de Rossi in Naeem Khan(30 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images)
    Idina Menzel in Vera Wang(31 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
    Olivia Wilde in Valentino(32 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    Olivia Wilde arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) (credit:Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
    Kristen Chenoweth in Cavalli and Neil Lane(33 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images)
    Viola Davis in Escada (34 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
    Robin Roberts (35 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    Robin Roberts arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, March 2, 2014, at (credit:Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
    Liza Minnelli (36 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
    Maria Menounos(37 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
    Tara Lipinski(38 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:Steve Granitz/WireImage)
    Giuliana Rancic(39 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    TV Personality Giuliana Rancic attends the Oscars held at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 2, 2014 in Hollywood, California. (Jason Merritt/Getty Images) (credit:Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
    Cristin Milioti(40 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
    Shaun Robinson(41 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    TV personality Shaun Robinson attends the Oscars held at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 2, 2014 in Hollywood, California. (Steve Granitz/WireImage) (credit:Steve Granitz/WireImage)
    Sara Ishaq(42 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images)
    Lara Spencer in KAUFMANFRANCO(43 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
    Nancy O'Dell (44 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    TV personality Nancy O'Dell attends the Oscars held at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 2, 2014 in Hollywood, California. (Jason Merritt/Getty Images) (credit:Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
    Ireland Baldwin in Burberry(45 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
    Rocsi Diaz(46 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    TV personality Rocsi Diaz attends the Oscars held at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 2, 2014 in Hollywood, California. (Ethan Miller/WireImage) (credit:Ethan Miller/WireImage)
    Rachel Smith(47 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    TV personality Rachel Smith attends the Oscars held at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 2, 2014 in Hollywood, California. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images) (credit:Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
    Louise Roe(48 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    TV Personality Louise Roe attends the Oscars held at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 2, 2014 in Hollywood, California. (Jason Merritt/Getty Images) (credit:Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
    Brooke Anderson (49 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    TV personality Brooke Anderson attends the Oscars held at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 2, 2014 in Hollywood, California. (Michael Buckner/Getty Images) (credit:Michael Buckner/Getty Images)
    Barkhad Abdi(50 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Tyson Beckford(51 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis(52 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Kristen Bell(53 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Viola Davis(54 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Bette Midler(55 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Kevin Spacey(56 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Michael B Jordan(57 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Charlize Theron(58 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Charlize Theron(59 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Anne Hathaway(60 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Harrison Ford(61 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Lady Gaga(62 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:Getty Images)
    Leonardo DiCaprio(63 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Leonardo DiCaprio(64 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Julia Roberts(65 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Steve McQueen and Bianca Stigter (66 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Joseph Gordon-Levitt (67 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Emma Watson(68 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Kate Hudson(69 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Julia Roberts(70 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Jada Pinkett-Smith(71 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Meryl Streep(72 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Zac Efron(73 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Julia Roberts(74 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart(75 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Meryl Streep(76 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Meryl Streep(77 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Jennifer Lawrence(78 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    PA-19175056(79 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Pharrell Williams(80 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie(81 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:PA)
    Cate Blanchett(82 of82)
    Open Image Modal
    (credit:Getty Images)

    MORE OSCARS:

    LIKE US ON FACEBOOK | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

    Suggest a correction
    |
    Submit a tip