Comedian Jerry Seinfeld has revealed he turned down the chance to host the Oscars because he wouldn't want to be part of the "most controlled possible environment".

The Seinfeld star admits he has come close to accepting the call to front Hollywood's biggest night in the past, but is now adamant the gig is not for him.

He tells The Hollywood Reporter, "I was at a point where I was saying, 'This is the year I'm either going to host the Oscars or I'm going to try and make a show on the Internet.' I can't give you the beats on what happened there, but something happened, politically, and I said, 'Ok, then I'm gonna do the Internet thing'. And now that door has kind of closed behind me."

Seinfeld is now tasting success with his web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, in which he chats with his comic pals over breakfast.

He adds, "When you're in that world and someone says, 'How would you like to go into the most controlled possible environment?' it's not as attractive."

And he fears talk show host and comedienne Ellen DeGeneres has her work cut out for her as she prepares to host her second Oscars next year (14).

Seinfeld states, "Nobody wants the Oscars to be good. Nobody really cares. I don't care. I'm going to watch it regardless.

"It's just something we need to do. It's like a husband and wife occasionally are going to have a fight. That's what the Oscars are - something we need to do from time to time."