Wait. Stop. Before we get into the weeds here, we’ve gotta clear up a massive misconception that’s floating around the internet like a bad rumor. If you’re looking for the ricky gervais golden globes speech 2023, you might be surprised to find it doesn't actually exist.
That’s right. Ricky Gervais didn't host the Golden Globes in 2023.
The guy standing on that stage in January 2023 was actually Jerrod Carmichael. He sat on the steps of the stage, looked out at a room full of nervous millionaires, and basically told them he was only there because he was Black. It was awkward. It was quiet. It was a totally different vibe from the beer-swilling, fire-breathing performances we grew to expect from Gervais.
So why is everyone still searching for a 2023 Ricky Gervais speech? Honestly, it’s probably because his 2020 monologue was so scorched-earth that people just assumed he’d be the one to bury the show for good. His "final" performance has become a permanent fixture of internet culture. People talk about it like it happened yesterday.
The Ghost of the 2020 Monologue
The reason the ricky gervais golden globes speech 2023 is such a popular search term is that the 2020 speech never really "ended." It went viral, stayed viral, and basically defined what people want to see from an awards show: total, unadulterated honesty.
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Gervais didn’t just tell jokes; he dismantled the entire concept of celebrity worship. Remember the line about Apple? He looked right at Tim Cook and talked about sweatshops in China. He told the most powerful people in Hollywood that if ISIS started a streaming service, they’d call their agents in a heartbeat.
That 2020 speech was his fifth and final time hosting. He made it very clear. "I don't care," he said, over and over. And he meant it. He told the winners to come up, accept their "little award," thank their agent and their God, and—well, you know the rest.
What Actually Happened at the 2023 Golden Globes
Since Ricky wasn't there, the 2023 ceremony had a lot of work to do. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) had been through the wringer. They’d been accused of having zero Black members. NBC had actually cancelled the 2022 broadcast because the backlash was so loud.
When the show came back in 2023, Jerrod Carmichael took the mic. His approach was the polar opposite of the "ricky gervais golden globes speech 2023" people were hoping for.
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- The Tone: Instead of aggressive and fast-paced, Carmichael was slow, deliberate, and almost uncomfortably candid.
- The Money: He admitted on stage that he was getting paid $500,000 for the gig.
- The Honesty: He didn't shy away from the HFPA's diversity scandal. He basically told the audience he took the job because he wanted the "white people money" and didn't really care if the organization had actually changed.
It wasn't the "shut up and sit down" energy of Gervais, but it was its own brand of brutal.
Why We Are Still Obsessed With Ricky's Approach
The internet keeps looking for that ricky gervais golden globes speech 2023 because we live in an era of "curated" celebrity. Everything is PR-managed. Everything is safe. Gervais was the glitch in the matrix.
He mocked Leonardo DiCaprio’s dating life. He brought up Jeffrey Epstein. He told the room they were in no position to lecture the public about anything because they "know nothing about the real world."
In 2023, viewers were looking for that same catharsis. They wanted someone to puncture the bubble of the awards season. When you see people sharing clips or writing about the "2023 speech," they’re usually just mislabeling his 2020 clips because the sentiment still feels incredibly relevant.
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The Legacy of the "Last" Speech
Even though Ricky hasn't been back on the Globes stage since the world shut down, his influence is everywhere. You see it in the way people react to hosts like Jo Koy (who had a rougher time in 2024) or Nikki Glaser. There is now a "Gervais Standard" for hosting: if you aren't making the audience visibly sweat, are you even doing your job?
Gervais himself has moved on to massive Netflix specials like SuperNature and Armageddon. He’s winning his own awards now—ironically, including a Golden Globe in 2024 for Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television. He didn't show up to collect that one, either.
How to Navigate the Confusion
If you’re trying to find the "real" ricky gervais golden globes speech 2023, here is the reality check:
- Check the Date: Any video claiming to be from 2023 featuring Ricky is likely a repost of his 2020 or 2016 highlights.
- Watch Jerrod Carmichael: If you want to see the actual 2023 opener, look for his "I'm here because I'm Black" monologue. It's a masterclass in tension.
- The 2020 "ISIS" Joke: This is the one most people are thinking of. It’s the peak of his "I'm retiring" energy.
The cultural impact of that final 2020 appearance was so heavy that it effectively "reset" how we view these shows. We no longer want the glitz; we want the roast.
To get the most out of the history of these speeches, you should look up the 2020 monologue in its entirety on YouTube via the official NBC or Golden Globes channels. Compare it to Jerrod Carmichael’s 2023 opening to see how the industry shifted from "mockery" to "accountability." It’s a fascinating look at how Hollywood tries—and often fails—to handle its own image.