Trevor Noah Jokes About Will Smith Slap in GRAMMYs Opener: We're 'Keeping People's Names Out of Our Mouths'

etonline.com:

Trevor Noah returned to the GRAMMYs this year and kicked things off in style!The host and celebrated stand-up comic delivered his opening monologue, and didn't hold back when it came to poking fun at some of the A-list music stars in the room at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas — and some celebs who weren't actually there as well.After a lively opening performance by Silk Sonic, Noah came out and made some fun, playful jokes about the night's nominees — including calling Justin Bieber «the best thing to happen to peaches since that Timothée Chalamet movie» — and joked that there was so much star power, it felt like «a musical Madame Tussauds in here!»«It will be such a beautiful evening.

Don't even think of this as an award show, consider it a concert where we are giving out awards,» Noah said. «We're gonna be listening to some music, we're gonna be dancing, we're gonna be singing.

We're going to be keeping people's names out of our mouths and we will be giving out awards all through the night.»The line — which notably didn't actually address the slap directly — elicited a big laugh from the audience.

Noah was, of course, referencing Will Smith's profanity-filled outburst from this year's Oscars after storming the stage and slapping Chris Rock in the face over a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.Ahead of Sunday's show, Noah addressed his plans for the big night during an interview with reporters, and shared, «First of all, it's an honor.»I mean, hosting the GRAMMYs one time, it is a lifetime achievement.