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He’ll be back to host the BRIT Awards for the sixth time when the annual ceremony relocates to Manchester on February 28.
But Jack Whitehall says the pre-written selection of gags and sketches that typically define his role hit a snag after a planned skit involving Harry Styles was deemed ‘inappropriate’ by the singer’s team.
Appearing on the latest instalment of The Jonathan Ross Show, Whitehall, 37, who will host the ceremony from Manchester’s Co-op Live on Saturday evening, recalled being knocked back by the star after pitching a series of comedic ideas.
He said: ‘I had to send over a few ideas, because the first few I don’t think were appropriate. There was one that was me, trekking for days to try and find him, and he’d been living in a hut, and he looked like Hagrid.
‘And then it had me shaving him. It was maybe like a fantasy of mine, but that got a hard no from his team.’
Whitehall also confirmed the former One Direction star will perform Aperture, the first single from his forthcoming fourth album Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally, when he takes to the stage at the annual event.
The BRIT Awards are moving from London for the first time in its 46-year history to relocate to the North, with Whitehall confirming in December that he will still be fronting the annual show.
The comedian credits the city as shaping his early comedy career after he studied at The University Of Manchester.
In a clip shared to social media titled, Ode to Manchester, the TV personality showed off everything from the Curry Mile to Coronation Street.
He said: ‘I am so excited to be coming back for this very special BRIT Awards in Manchester, a place that is so important to me.
‘The city I started my comedy career in, it feels like a real full circle moment returning to host this historic night at the Co-op Live, a venue that is only a stone’s throw away from the comedy club I did my first 10 minute set in all those years ago.’
He added: ‘Hopefully I get a few more laughs than I did that night. I cannot wait.’
The Daily Mail revealed the annual showpiece, regarded as the biggest night in British music, will now be held in Manchester hosted at Co-op Live both next year and in 2027.
After nearly five decades in London, the ceremony will be marking a bold new chapter taking place on Saturday, February 28th, and will broadcast exclusively on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.
The change will be officially framed around the desire to reach new audiences in other regions, while also banishing its ‘London-centric’ reputation.
The 2026 event will be the first of three years under the stewardship of Sony Music UK, who spearheaded the move to Manchester.
Jason Iley MBE, Chairman and CEO, Sony Music UK & Ireland said: ‘This is a very exciting time for The BRIT Awards.
‘Moving to Manchester, the home of some of the most iconic and defining artists of our lifetime, will invigorate the show and build on the BRITs legacy of celebrating and reinvesting in world-class music.
‘Hosting the show in Manchester, with its vibrant cultural history, perfectly captures the spirit and energy of the BRIT Awards. I can’t wait to see the show at the amazing state-of-the art Co-op Live venue.’
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, added: ‘For The BRIT Awards to move out of London is a massive coup for Greater Manchester. After 48 years, it is great that this prestigious global event is about to arrive in the UK capital of music and culture.’