Conan O'Brien says it's a 'running battle' to prep for the Oscars

With the 2026Oscarsjust days away,host Conan O'Brienis opening up about returning to the helm for the second year in a row and what he has planned forthe 98th Academy Awards.

"I'm chill, because we've been working really hard. We have a lot of fun ideas," O'Brien told ABC News' Lara Spencer in an interview that aired Thursday on "Good Morning America."

"It doesn't mean a million things won't go wrong or sideways between now and the actual show, but that can be a challenge too," he continued, adding that it's "always a running battle up until the moment the Oscars begins."

The 98th Oscars will be held Sunday, March 15, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

Ahead of the award show, O'Brien said he has been visiting a variety of comedy clubs to test material for his opening monologue.

"The crowds really like it, because I'm a surprise, so they don't know that I'm gonna show up," O'Brien explained. "And some of these are very far-flung comedy clubs. They're also a bowling alley. They're also a car rental place."

Oscars 2026: Everything to know about the 98th Academy Awards

"You have a decent chance of getting a [laugh] -- or punched, but either way, it's entertainment," he added.

This year, with several films in strong contention, O'Brien said he's "excited" to see it all unfold.

The Oscars has 24 award categories, each with fivenominees, except for best picture, which has 10.

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"I think the movies are spectacular, really. And they're all quite different," he said. "I mean'Sinners'is amazing, and'One Battle After Another'and'Marty Supreme,'those are incredible films, and'Bugonia,'and I mean – I could go on and on."

How to watch 2026 Oscars ceremony, pre-show and more

O'Brien also reflected on his first time hosting the Oscars last year, rating it a 15 "on a scale of 1 to 10."

In his opening monologue last year, O'Brien commented on actor Timothée Chalamet's butter-yellow suit, saying at the time, "Love that suit. You will not get hit on your bike tonight."

"And everyone laughed," O'Brien recalled. "I remember at that moment thinking, 'OK, that's all this is.' All this is, is finding those little moments and stringing them together."

He added, "I'm praying Timmy Chalamet wears something really brightly colored."

Although O'Brien said he can't share a full preview of what's to come at the Oscars this Sunday, he teased some singing and dancing on his part.

"I think America demands to see Conan's body in motion. You just have to tune in," he said.

The Oscars will be broadcast live on ABC and streamed on Hulu beginning at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 15.

The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ABC News, ABC and Hulu.

bySator Tenet

in

March 12, 2026

Conan O'Brien says it's a 'running battle' to prep for the Oscars

With the 2026Oscarsjust days away,host Conan O'Brienis opening up about returning to the helm for the second year in...

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Kate Middleton Makes Rare Reference to Her Cancer Diagnosis, Saying She's 'a Lot More Conscious' About Alcohol Now

Kate Middleton shared that she has significantly reduced alcohol consumption after her cancer diagnosis

NEED TO KNOW

• The Princess of Wales announced in March 2024 that she was undergoing treatment for cancer and said she was in remission in January 2025

• Princess Kate has spoken openly about the challenges of post-cancer recovery and finding a "new normal" in her life

Kate Middletonrevealed a lifestyle change she made after her cancer diagnosis.

The Princess of Wales, 44, shared the insight while visiting the Southwark Brewing Company in London on March 12, one of several stops she andPrince Williammade around the River Thames that day.

While pouring pints at the business, Princess Kate said, "Since my diagnosis, I haven't had much alcohol. It's something I have to be a lot more conscious of now," Matt Wilkinson ofThe Sunwrote onX.

The royal editor added that Kate then turned her attention to William and said, "But you like cider," referring to her husband's go-to drink.

The Princess of Wales made the candid comment about her lifestyle change 13 months after she announced that she wasin remissionfrom cancer.

In March 2024, Kate released a video message announcing that she wasundergoing treatment for cancer, which had been detected following anabdominal surgerytwo months prior.

Prince William's wife reduced her royal duties to focus on her health that year, and she announced in September 2024 that she had completedchemotherapy treatment.

In January 2025, she announced with "relief" that she was in remission after paying an unannounced visit to The Royal Marsden Hospital in London. The outing came with the confirmation that Princess Kate had received treatment there during her cancer journey.

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The Princess of Wales resumed a more regular schedule of royal duties following her remission announcement and hasopenly spoken about the challenges of the phase following cancer treatment.

"You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment. Treatment's done, then it's like, 'I can crack on, get back to normal,' but actually, the phase afterwards is really, really difficult," she said while visiting Colchester Hospital in July 2025.

"You have to find your new normal, and that takes time — and it's a roller coaster, it's not smooth, like you expect it to be. But the reality is you go through hard times," Kate added.

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage?Sign up for our free Royals newsletterto get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

The Princess of Wales recentlyreleased a video message to commemorate World Cancer Dayon Feb. 4, where she shared her solidarity with anyone affected by cancer.

"On World Cancer Day, my thoughts are with everyone who is facing a cancer diagnosis, undergoing treatment or finding their way through recovery. Cancer touches so many lives — not only patients, but the families and friends and caregivers who walk beside them," she said in the voiceover of a video shared toInstagram, which featured footage of her meeting people at The Royal Marsden Hospital's Chelsea hub in January 2025.

"As anyone who has experienced this journey will know, it's not linear. There are moments of fear and exhaustion. But also moments of strength, kindness, and profound connection," she continued. "Today is a reminder of the importance of care, understanding and hope. Please know you are not alone."

Read the original article onPeople

bySator Tenet

in

March 12, 2026

Kate Middleton Makes Rare Reference to Her Cancer Diagnosis, Saying She's 'a Lot More Conscious' About Alcohol Now

Kate Middleton shared that she has significantly reduced alcohol consumption after her cancer diagnosis NEED ...

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Katherine Heigl defends participating in dog rescue fundraiser at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago: 'Animals don’t vote'

Katherine Heigl is defending her decision to attend a dog rescue fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago, the exclusive Palm Beach club owned by Donald Trump.

Key Points

• "Animals don't vote. The only room they don't like is the euthanasia room at a shelter," the actress shared in a statement.

• Heigl has long advocated for pets' rights, establishing the Jason Heigl Foundation for animal welfare with her mother Nancy in 2008.

Katherine Heiglis hitting back at criticism over her recent attendance of a charity event held at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump's exclusive Palm Beach club.

TheGrey's Anatomystar was one of hundreds in attendance on Sunday at the 2026 edition of Wine, Women & Shoes, an annual fundraiser benefitting Florida's Big Dog Ranch Rescue, the nation's largest no-kill dog shelter. The event was held this year at the sprawling, 17-acre estate that serves as Trump's primary residence, as well as plays host to a wide variety of weddings, galas, and other special events.

Heigl has become an elusive star since the height of her fame in the late 2000s and early 2010s, and the rare red carpet appearance March 8 attracted a good deal of attention. Much of that attention has been critical due to the association with the sitting president, whoseapproval rating has been plummetingamid the ongoing war against Iran.

Never one to shy away from controversy, Heigl finally addressed her decision to the attend the event, which she contended existed in an entirely separate sphere from politics.

"Animals don't vote. The only room they don't like is the euthanasia room at a shelter," the actress said in a statement shared withPage Sixon Wednesday. "They are completely at the mercy of us, and they have no voice of their own."

"This event was about animal advocacy — something that has always been deeply personal to me... Anyone who knows me knows that protecting animals is one of my greatest passions," she continued.

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Entertainment Weeklydid not immediately hear back from representatives for Heigl.

Heigl's advocacy for the cause of animal welfare is long running and well documented.

The actress and her mother Nancy established theJason Heigl Foundationfor animal welfare and advocacy in 2008 in honor of their late brother and son, who died in a car accident. The Heigls have raised "more than $8 million" since the organization's inception in order to support animals in need, according to itswebsite.

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The three-day gala benefitting Big Dog Ranch Rescue raised $5.5 million in pursuit of its goal to open facilities in Alabama, Texas, California, and North Carolina, according toThe Palm Beach Post.

The event was co-chaired by Lara Trump, the president's daughter-in-law, and was attended by other figures in his extended circle, like Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, whom the president appointed United States Attorney for the District of Columbia back in August.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

bySator Tenet

in

March 12, 2026

Katherine Heigl defends participating in dog rescue fundraiser at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago: 'Animals don’t vote'

Katherine Heigl is defending her decision to attend a dog rescue fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago, the exclusive Palm Beach club...

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Wisconsin, in familiar No. 5 Big Ten seed, seeks rerun vs. Washington

Wisconsin was the fifth seed in the Big Ten tournament in each of the past two seasons, and it reached the title game both times.

The 23rd-ranked Badgers (22-9) will look to make it three in a row out of the No. 5 post as they open tournament play with a third-round matchup against 12th-seeded Washington (16-16) on Thursday afternoon.

The Huskies advanced with an 83-79 overtime victory against 13th-seeded Southern California on Wednesday. Zoom Diallo led the way with 22 points and 11 assists, Wesley Yates III and Quimari Peterson each scored 15 points and Hannes Steinbach added 10 points and 11 rebounds for Washington, which rallied from a 13-point deficit in the second half.

"When we get down, this is a high character team," Washington coach Danny Sprinkle told Peacock after the game. "Adversity hasn't defined us all year. We've had guys quit. We've had guys get injured, and these guys keep battling."

The Huskies fell behind by three points early in the extra session, but a 7-0 run capped by a 3-pointer from Peterson put Washington on top 80-76 with 59 seconds left. Diallo went 2 of 2 at the line in the final seconds and Steinbach made 1 of 2 to seal the victory.

"Zoom was terrific," Sprinkle said. "Playing with four fouls the last 12:30 of the second half. I think he had a double-double that second half. It was tremendous. Everybody stepped up. ...

"It came down to getting stops and guarding without fouling in that last five minutes of regulation, really eight minutes of regulation, and then overtime. Just kept finding a way to win."

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The Badgers defeated the Huskies 90-73 on Feb. 28 in Seattle as Braeden Carrington came off the bench to score a career-high 32 points, making a school-record nine 3-pointers.

"We don't need them to make (17) threes like they did in the first meeting," Sprinkle said. "We didn't play with any force that game. Give Wisconsin credit. They played great, but hopefully we play with a lot more energy (Thursday)."

Badgers coach Greg Gard and his staff had to prepare for multiple potential quarterfinal opponents.

"They've all put their heads together to continue to come to me with how we want to adjust game plans from player to player and game to game," Gard said of his assistant coaches. "It took a little while for us to kind of get it up and really rolling in the right direction, but I think it's made us much more efficient, much more effective."

All-Big Ten second-team selection Nick Boyd leads the Badgers with averages of 20.1 points and 4.0 assists per game. John Blackwell, chosen to the All-Big Ten third team, puts up 18.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

"They've got two of the best guards in the league, and they're going to be coming with a chip on their shoulder because they both could have easily been first-team all-league," Sprinkle said of Boyd and Blackwell."

--Field Level Media

bySator Tenet

in

March 12, 2026

Wisconsin, in familiar No. 5 Big Ten seed, seeks rerun vs. Washington

Wisconsin was the fifth seed in the Big Ten tournament in each of the past two seasons, and it reached the title gam...

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