Award show speeches can often run long. At the recent Emmys 2025, host Nate Bargatze tried a new way to keep things moving. The comedian, 46, was hosting for the first time. He came up with a plan that got everyone talking.
Bargatze announced a $100,000 donation to the Boys & Girls Club. This money would kick off the show’s charity efforts. But there was a catch for award winners. They had only 45 seconds to give their acceptance speeches. For every second a winner went over, $1,000 would be taken away from the donation. "It’s tough. It’s brutal," Bargatze explained. "This is a game I made up, and these are the rules."
Not everyone was a fan of this idea. Bill Prady, the creator of The Big Bang Theory, quickly voiced his disapproval. He took to X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, September 14. Prady called the Boys & Girls Club segment "simply horrible and awkward." He even suggested the Emmys should cancel it.
Bargatze had defended his strategy days before taking the stage. He told Variety on Friday, September 12, that he didn’t know how it would turn out. He admitted it could cost him a lot of money or nothing at all. He came up with the idea because nothing else seemed to work to shorten acceptance speeches. He didn’t want to just take money from the Boys & Girls Club. Instead, this would encourage winners to stay on time and keep the charity in everyone’s minds all night.
During the ceremony, Bargatze made sure to keep mentioning the donation. He even brought in fellow comedian JB Smoove, 59, to help with timekeeping. Smoove was seen in the audience next to two Boys & Girls Club members, timing each speaker. Winners felt the pressure. Seth Rogen, who won Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, gave a super quick speech. Bargatze thanked Rogen, saying he added $5,000 to the fund. "But don’t go crazy," Bargatze quipped. "Because, I mean, I’m paying this." He playfully urged everyone to "do the right thing."