The daily gossip: January 8, 2020

1. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will 'step back' from the Royal Family

Making a move that is legitimately unprecedented in the modern era, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have issued a statement announcing they intend to "step back" from their roles in the Royal Family, pursuing financial independence, starting a new charity, and splitting their time between the U.K. and North America. In response, Buckingham Palace put out their own terse statement, saying that "these are complicated issues that will take time to work through." And whatever happens next, this whole thing is going to make one incredible series finale for The Crown someday.

People

2. The Oscars won't have a host this year

After years of viewers whinging — correctly — about overlong awards shows packed with lame jokes, the Academy Awards seem to have settled on the perfect host: No one! Like last year, the 2020 Oscars ceremony will not have an actual host, and a rotating band of celebrities will take the stage to perform one-off speeches and comedy bits instead. When asked whether the Emmys will also go host-less this year, ABC entertainment president Karey Burke said they might pursue Baby Yoda — which, while probably a joke, would almost definitely lead to the highest-rated Emmys ceremony in history.

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The Wrap

3. The Bachelor is getting a music-based spinoff

The runaway success of The Masked Singer has proved that music reality shows are hot again, so The Bachelor has hit upon a can't-miss idea: Blend some singing into all that romance and see what happens. A Bachelor spinoff, titled The Bachelor: Listen to Your Heart, will premiere in the spring. The series will follow 20 single men and women as they perform love songs, judged by music industry professionals who will decide whether their performances "reveal the couple's love and devotion to one another." (Pro tip: Claim "Shallow" before some other couple grabs it first.)

Deadline

4. Rob Lowe says his 'little stupid Christmas elephant movie' beat The Irishman in Netflix viewership

Some say Netflix is destroying cinema — but according to Rob Lowe, more people are watching his movies than ever. Lowe claims the "little stupid Christmas elephant movie" he starred in last year — actually (and not nearly as accurately) titled Holiday in the Wild — was the most-watched movie on Netflix, beating a slate of critically-acclaimed movies like Marriage Story and The Irishman. Netflix, notoriously quiet about its viewership metrics, neither confirmed nor denied Lowe's boast. Of course, the real test will be whether Holiday in the Wild can lock down any Oscar nominations. (We're crossing our fingers for Best Supporting Elephant.)

The Wrap

5. Ryan Seacrest fell down

Even a seasoned pro can have an off day. See: Ryan Seacrest, professional host of whatever needs hosting, who was goofing around on an episode of Live with Kelly and Ryan when he fell out of his chair on live TV. Despite the concerns of his audience and co-host, Seacrest quickly emerged unharmed, losing nothing except his pride — and gaining a possible contender for an America's Funniest Home Videos winner.

Entertainment Weekly