Irish actor Liam Neeson has thrown his support behind controversial comedian Ricky Gervais as the host of the 2012 Golden Globes, insisting Hollywood needs "a shake-up".
The British funnyman caused outrage when he presented this year's (11) ceremony and made cruel jibes about some of the movie world's biggest stars, including Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie.
Gervais was widely expected not to be invited back to host another Golden Globes prizegiving, but event bosses shocked industry insiders this week (begs14Nov11) when they announced the Brit had been hired to make his third appearance as the host of the 2012 awards show.
The decision has been met with mixed reactions, while the comedian has revealed he accepted the offer to "shut people up".
And now Neeson, who made a cameo in Gervais' new TV show Life's Too Short, has applauded the choice of host, insisting he's looking forward to hearing the funnyman's banter on stage.
Neeson says, "Hollywood needs a shake-up. He'll be great."