Jimmy Kimmel tells Wanda Sykes she’s being “robbed” over Oscars salary

“It sounds like a lot for one night but it's months of work leading up to it”

Jimmy Kimmel has revealed what he was paid to host the Oscars during an interview with Wanda Sykes.

The actor and comedian is sharing her hosting duties with Amy Schumer and Regina Hall at this year’s event which takes place at the Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre on Sunday, March 27.

Ahead of the ceremony, Sykes appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! where she mentioned her surprise over the salary.

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Speaking about accepting the Oscars job, Sykes said: “I was really excited about that but then I realised that out of all the jobs I have this one is actually going to cost me money.”

Asked how much she’ll earn, Sykes didn’t specify. “I don’t even know,” she said. “It’s like scale, probably.”

When Kimmel, who hosted the event in 2017 and 2018, remarked it was “less than that”, he revealed his own wage for the role: “I was paid $15,000 to host the Oscars. And there’s one of me, you’ll have to probably split all that.

“It sounds like a lot for one night but it’s months of work leading up to it.”

Addressing Sykes, Kimmel added: “You’re getting robbed. Hold out right now, because they need hosts.”

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“I’ve already decided I’m just going to steal an Oscar,” Sykes joked in response.

This year marks the first time in three years the Oscars will have an official host. In recent years, following Kimmel’s last stint in 2018, the show has relied on the awards presenters instead.

Jane Campion’s The Power Of The Dog leads this year’s event with 12 nominations. This is followed by Dune with 10, while Belfast and West Side Story have seven each.

Along with the above, the race for Best Picture includes Licorice Pizza, CODA, Don’t Look Up, Drive My Car, King Richard and Nightmare Alley.

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