Chris Rock could host the Oscars next year teases ABC President

Comedian Chris Rock may be hosting next year’s Oscars in a triumphant return after he was smacked in the face by Best Winning Actor Will Smith,

ABC president Craig Erwich told Deadline that he was open to bring Rock in as the emcee.

Chris Rock has been touring the world on his Ego Death tour and on Thursday at Royal Albert Hall in London he discussed Will Smith, abortion, his dating life, and Meghan Markle

He promised that the next year’s show, slated for March 12, 2023, will be ‘even better’ than the last one.

Will Smith has been banned from attending the ceremony for 10 years after he assaulted Rock for making a bald joke at the expense of Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith.

The network president said that regretted the violence of the evening this year, but he said that otherwise it was a successful show.

‘My assessment of the Oscars was that it was really a successful year for the show. Obviously there was a lot of controversy, which overshadowed a lot of the positive things about the show, but I was really happy with the program,’ he told the trade publication. ‘Even before that very unfortunate moment, the show started off up year over year, and we came back in a big way.’

ABC president Craig Erwich said that he was open to comedian Chris Rock hosting the 2023 Oscars

Erwich glossed over the fact that the controversy stirred up by the slap was one of the main talking points of the show.

‘It was the biggest bounce back of any award show this season,’ he told Deadline. ‘If you look at what they were trying to do, which is really bring entertainment back to the program, they had three amazing hosts, clips, and incredible musical performances, I thought it was a great way for the show to reclaim its place on the mantle.

There’s always things to learn and we’ll endeavor to do even better next year.’