Nate Bargatze Defends Emmys After Press Bashed Host’s Charity Stunt

Comedian Nate Bargatze is confronting his critics after his hosting stint at the 77th Emmy Awards earlier this month was met with negative reviews from the press. Bargatze was widely panned for his elaborate plan to shorten acceptance speeches. He promised a donation of $100,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of America, but that amount diminished for every speech over 45 seconds. Winners added money to the pot by delivering speeches 45 seconds or under. A money ticker was shown during many speeches as they went long and the total sum diminished in real time.

“A lot of reviews did not like that, but it came from a real place of heart,” Bargatze said on a new episode of the “Nateland” podcast. “Everybody at home loved it. It was fun and entertaining to see money go down and all that. I wasn’t trying to put anyone on the spot or make someone donate money. In my head I thought, ‘Make it fun.’ We’re not using the charity as a tool.”

“I wasn’t trying to overshadow any of their speeches,” the comedian continued. “What I thought would happen in the room… I thought it was going to be like Netflix donating or Apple. I did not expect [15-year-old ‘Adolescence’ winner Owen Cooper] to give money. In my head, I pictured it as [actors] could then go long but then be a hero. So it was like a win-win. Then the night becomes about love and giving to these kids that are there and all this kind of stuff. I don’t know if I just didn’t explain it enough in the room. There was no ill will. I was trying to have a very giving night. I thought if people were giving long speeches they’d be like, ‘Netflix is going to cover it.’ I could’ve explained it more.”

The night ended with $0 in the charity pot, so Bargatze personally added a $250,000 donation along with a pledge from CBS. But the comedian explained: “I wasn’t gonna give that money at the end. I wasn’t thinking I was gonna have to. But the way it went, I was like, ‘Well, I can’t … I’m not gonna not.’”

Despite the negative reviews, CBS’ telecast of the 77th Emmys pulled in 7.4 million viewers with Bargatze as host. That was an 8% increase from the 6.9 million viewers that tuned in during last year’s show, which aired on ABC in September 2024. The 77th Emmys were the most-watched ceremony since 2021.

“The ratings were a huge thing for myself, career-wise,” Bargatze said on the podcast. “That is a big thank you to you guys. That stuff does matter. Even thought I’m doing [Madison Square Garden shows] and I’m shooting a movie, I’ve had to do that with me being the lead of it. It’s not in the typical Hollywood world. They brought me on. I’m kind of an outsider of that system. The biggest thing that showed was that the ratings went up.”

Watch Bargatze’s most recent episode of the “Nateland” podcast in the video below.