Here’s How Golden Globes Host Jo Koy Felt About Taylor Swift’s Icy Reaction to His NFL Monologue Joke

It seems safe to say that Jo Koy’s next stand-up special will not be in many Swifties queues. The stand-up who hosted Sunday night’s (Jan. 7) 81st annual Golden Globe Awards got the iciest of stares from Taylor Swift during his opening show monologue after he made a quip about how often the NFL’s cameras cut to reaction shots of the singer when she attends boyfriend Travis Kelce’s games.

“The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL? At the Golden Globes, we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift,” the comic joked as cameras, naturally, cut to Swift, who reacted with pursed lips and a cold stare before casually sipping from her champagne flute. Sensing the collective unease in the room and the less-than-exuberant response from the singer typically known for her ebullient awards show energy, not for the first time during the widely panned mono Koy wanly apologized for the jibe before moving on.

Swift was a last-minute attendee at the show produced and owned by dick clark productions, taking her place in the packed Beverly Hilton Hotel ballroom thanks to a nomination for her 2023 Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concert film in the new cinematic and box office achievement award category. Koy set up the joke by noting that the Globes were preceded on CBS by an NFL game between the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants.

Speaking to ET on the red carpet of Billboard‘s Globes after-party, Koy seemed to want to play down the poor response to the comment. “Aww, man, it was cute,” Koy said about the joke sending up how often Swift is shown on camera while watching the Kansas City Chiefs tight end’s games. “I was just saying it was cute. I was just saying it’s less cutaways, that’s all.”

When ET reporter Denny Directo suggested that Swift’s salty sip may have just been a result of her thirst for a little champagne, Koy replied, “aww, man” and shook the interviewer’s hand. At press time it did not appear as if Swift or Kelce had commented on the joke.

The Golden Globes are produced and owned by dick clark productions. Penske Media Corporation, Billboard’s parent company, is a part-owner of dick clark productions and has a partnership with Eldridge.