Comedian Nate Bargatze has hit back at critics of his hosting stint at the 77th Emmy Awards, defending his charity initiative that saw a $100,000 donation to the Boys & Girls Club of America diminish in real time as acceptance speeches exceeded 45 seconds. Speaking on his 'Nateland' podcast, Bargatze insisted the idea came 'from a real place of heart' and was intended to be fun, not to overshadow winners' speeches.
Bargatze explained that he expected major corporations like Netflix or Apple to cover the lost donations, rather than individual winners like 15-year-old 'Adolescence' winner Owen Cooper. 'I thought if people were giving long speeches they’d be like, “Netflix is going to cover it,”' he said, adding that he may not have explained the concept clearly enough in the room.
The night ended with $0 in the charity pot, prompting Bargatze to personally donate $250,000, with a matching pledge from CBS. '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,”' he said.
Despite the negative press, the telecast drew 7.4 million viewers, an 8% increase from last year's ceremony and the highest since 2021. Bargatze noted the ratings boost was significant for his career, particularly as an outsider to Hollywood. 'That stuff does matter,' he said.
