It might be one of the most prestigious awards ceremonies in the world of filmmaking, but it wouldn’t be the Oscars without plenty of chaos and cringe.

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This year certainly delivered on this front, with Hugh Grant providing amusement for some and prompting criticism from others following an awkward red carpet interview on Sunday (12th March).

“The whole of humanity is here... it’s Vanity Fair,” he said in a pre-show interview with American presenter and model Ashley Graham, referring to the 1848 novel by William Thackeray.

“It’s all about Vanity Fair – that’s where we let loose and have a little bit of fun,” Graham responded, presumably referring to the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, which kicks off after the awards wrap up on ABC.

And the awkwardness didn’t stop there.

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When asked who he was most excited to see at the Academy Awards, Grant said: “Um, no one in particular.”

When Graham inquired about his outfit for the evening, he replied that he was wearing "just my suit".

The host then asked about Grant’s role in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, which received a nod in the Best Adapted Screenplay category, to which he bluntly replied: “I’m in it for about three seconds."

Hugh Grant in Glass Onion.
Hugh Grant in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. YouTube

The interview divided opinion online, with some calling the actor "incredibly rude" and others calling his answers "brilliant".

Later in the evening, the actor was reunited with his former Four Weddings and a Funeral co-star Andie MacDowell during the ceremony, where they presented the Academy Award for Best Production Design.

Before announcing the winner, Grant joked that he and MacDowell had been picked to highlight "the vital importance of using a good moisturiser".

"Andie's been wearing one for the last 29 years, and I've never used one in my life," he claimed.

"Still stunning," he said, gesturing towards his former co-star, before pointing to himself and commenting: "Basically a scrotum."

The remark was met with laughter from the Oscars audience, and caused a stir on social media, too, with one Twitter user commenting: "Hugh Grant just said 'scrotum' live at the Oscars."

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight.

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