Grammys producer Ben Winston begged Trevor Noah to host the ceremony one last time
Grammy Awards producer Ben Winston has revealed he sent comedian Trevor Noah a video begging him to return and host the ceremony for a sixth consecutive year.
Grammys producer Ben Winston had to beg Trevor Noah to host the ceremony for one final time.
The Recording Academy announced earlier this month that the 41-year-old comedian would be hosting the music awards for a sixth consecutive year on February 1 and Winston revealed that he decided to turn to the former host of The Daily Show in an act of desperation as bosses were struggling to find a replacement.
He told reporters: "After last year's show, he respectfully said, 'Look, I've done a great five years, it's time to hand the microphone off to somebody else and move on.'"
Winston, 44, continued: "It got to December, and we hadn't found anybody that we absolutely loved. I sent him a video, and I was literally, I was on my knees in the video, and I said, 'Please look at this incredible lineup that we've got on the show - the only thing that's missing is you.'
"Come back and do one final year, it's the last year on CBS, let's make it your last year too."
Winston, who produced The Late Late Show with James Corden for the broadcaster, confessed that he was worried that Trevor wouldn't be persuaded by his begging - stating that "it was the longest I've ever waited for a text to come".
The Emmy award-winner feels that Trevor's enthusiasm for the Grammys as a "music fan" makes him the ideal host of the ceremony.
Winston said: "(He's) as excited to be in the middle of that room as we all are to watch it, and I think that's what makes him the perfect host.
"He's been a big part of the evolution of our show, of our organisation, to be honest, because he presents so well.
"The gravitas, the sensibility, the emotional intelligence that he has, and his interactions with the artists really has changed the tone and the tenor of our show.
"So we're extremely thankful for his five, now going on six shows."
Trevor previously revealed that he works tirelessly on his Grammys routine to give himself the best possible chance of success in hosting the ceremony.
The South African funnyman told People in 2024: "Telling a joke is like jumping out of an airplane with a parachute. You have an idea of where you would like to land, but when you actually get close to the ground, you might be a little bit off from where you intended to be.
"So I just work my a** off, try and think of the funniest things to say and ways to say them. The rest I leave to God."
