Neil Patrick Harris was embarrassingly low on the list of stars asked to host next year's Oscars, with organisers reportedly approaching three other celebrities before reaching the How I Met Your Mother star.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, producers initially had Ellen DeGeneres in the frame for the top gig.
DeGeneres got the job this year, helming a broadcast that – coincidence or not – increased the number of viewers by 8 per cent compared to 2013.
But DeGeneres, who previously hosted in 2007, was reportedly against taking on the famously high-pressure role for a third time.
Chris Rock was next on the producers' list. When the comedian knocked back the offer, the call went in to Julia Louis-Dreyfus who also turned it down.
Which left Harris, rather like the kid who gets picked last for the football team, an embarrassing fourth choice.
Harris, who has on his resume four Tony Award stints and three hosting the Primetime Emmys, has in the past openly expressed his desire to take on the Oscars.
But he apparently has had an uphill battle to convince fans that he is the right person for the job, according to a recent poll.
Variety reported that a survey by celebrity brand strategist Jeetendr Sehdev revealed that, while 31 per cent of fans said they were "very likely" to watch the broadcast after DeGeneres was announced as host, just 3 per cent felt the same when Harris' name was put up.