Jack Whitehall took aim at the UK’s politicians and dubbed Donald Trump a “squatter” as he introduced the GQ Men Of The Year Awards.
The comedian, 32, hosted this year’s edition of the annual ceremony, which was broadcast from the Coliseum Theatre in London without an audience.
Welcoming viewers to the event, he aimed a jibe at the James Bond film No Time To Die, which has been repeatedly delayed due to the pandemic.
Introducing our 2020 #GQAwards winners… @jackwhitehall https://t.co/4UjE2iK8JF #BOSSXGQAwards @HUGOBOSS #BOSSBottled #SuitedByBOSS pic.twitter.com/alzDgBJlgK
— British GQ (@BritishGQ) November 26, 2020
Whitehall also noted that the politician of the year gong, won in recent years by Rory Stewart and David Lammy, was absent in 2020.
He said: “We are here at the stunning Coliseum Theatre. Ah theatres, do you remember them? No, me neither.
“We were actually really lucky with this place as it was booked for the Bond premiere, so we got it at a bargain.
“2020 has of course been a year like no other. A global pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement, the UK Government deciding it was time to stop feeding children, not to mention a squatter in the White House and finally the hope of a long-awaited vaccine.
“Look at it this way, how long ago does Tiger King feel?”
Hailing the awards for still going ahead despite the “shitastrophe that was 2020″, he added: “Spoiler alert – there is no politician of the year.”
Whitehall also poked fun at a viral video recorded by stars including Gal Gadot and Natalie Portman during the first months of the pandemic, of them singing John Lennon’s Imagine.
The clip, which was widely lampooned, also featured Jamie Dornan, Sia, Pedro Pascal, Zoe Kravitz, Will Ferrell and Norah Jones.
Threatening to play the song to viewers of the GQ Awards, Whitehall said: “So don’t you want to hear the millionaires singing the beautiful ballad?”
Instead he introduced a performance by the Mercury Prize-nominated band Sports Team.