Nikki Glaser scores big win after hosting Golden Globes

Comedian Nikki Glaser has won widespread acclaim for hosting Sunday's 82nd Golden Globe Awards—and she's also benefitting in a big way on social media.

The Emmy nominee made history as the first woman to host the ceremony solo, and she didn't disappoint as she peppered the prestigious soirée with a batch of jokes that kept well-heeled attendees and the audience at home laughing.

Noting the diabetes drug popularly used for weight loss, Glaser called Sunday's Golden Globes "Ozempic's biggest night." She also said that the awards ceremony "celebrates the best of film, and holds space for TV," in reference to the viral interview of Wicked co-stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.

After making her debut as Golden Globes host, Glaser, 40, was praised by an army of social media users, including revered comedian Jon Stewart, who described her performance onstage as "very, very good."

In the days that have followed, Glaser has also seen a popularity boost online. On Instagram, her follower count went up by 24,704 on Monday and 91,857 on Tuesday, according to figures provided by analytics website Social Blade. As of press time on Wednesday, a further 84,640 followers have been added to the count, swelling her ever-growing tally up to more than 1,910,000.

For comparison, in the several days leading up to the Golden Globes broadcast, Glaser's account on the platform attracted between 1,501 and 2,677 new followers each day.

Per Social Blade, Glaser's popularity has also extended to TikTok, where her follower count went up by 9,400 on Monday and 84,900 on Tuesday. As of press time on Wednesday, another 63,200 new followers have rolled in, bringing the total up to more than 650,000.

In the week preceding the show, the most followers Glaser received in a single day was 700.

Newsweek has contacted a representative of Glaser via email for comment.

When her presenting role was announced in 2024, Glaser paid homage to some of the Golden Globes hosts who came before her.

"Some of my favorite jokes of all time have come from past Golden Globes opening monologues when Tina , Amy or Ricky have said exactly what we all didn't know we desperately needed to hear," she said in a statement.

"I just hope to continue in that time-honored tradition (that might also get me canceled)."

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Glaser spent most of her childhood in St. Louis, Missouri. Her love of comedy rose to the fore while studying at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she wrote her first jokes at the age of 18. She later graduated with a bachelor's degree in English after transferring to the University of Kansas.

After making waves with late-night TV appearances, Glaser starred in her first stand-up comedy special, Perfect, which aired on Comedy Central in 2016. She followed up with another special, called Bangin', which debuted on Netflix in 2019. Her most recent special, Someday You'll Die, debuted on the streaming platform Max in 2024.

A seasoned podcast host, Glaser is also known for hosting the dating shows Blind Date and FBoy Island. She also had her own reality series on E! called Welcome Home Nikki Glaser.