Hollywood stars will be on the edge of their seats at tonight's Golden Globe Awards, not because of the gongs on offer but because of the evening's host.
Comedian Ricky Gervais has told his more than 1.4 million Twitter followers: "No-one knows what I'm going to say until I say it."
The Idiot Abroad creator added: "That was my only stipulation to host again."
Having offended half of Hollywood's A-listers at the glitzy red-carpet event in 2010, he was invited to return for a second time.
"Also not nominated - I love you Phillip Morris. Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor, two heterosexual characters pretending to be gay. So the complete opposite of some famous scientologist," joked Gervais to gasps in 2011.
But the so-far bulletproof host's wicked sense of humour has earned him a third consecutive invitation to front tonight's awards.
"I am keen having to write new jokes as I pick my victims, I mean targets, I mean presenters to introduce," tweeted Gervais.
But Gervais is not the only British export expected to make the headlines at the Golden Globes.
War-time drama Downton Abbey leads the nominations race with four and the 1950s newsroom drama The Hour is up for two acting gongs.
Kate Winslet is nominated for best actress in Mildred Pierce and for her role in the film Carnage and Jeremy Irons goes head-to-head with Damian Lewis for best actor.
"I think British talent in TV acting and dramas is peerless," critic Kevin O'Sullivan told Sky News.
"As a nation we have always produced arguably the best actors in the world. We have the tendency to make programmes which are a bit more upmarket, a bit more artistically credible."
And it is not just British TV talent punching above its weight in LA.
For her role in We Need to Talk about Kevin, Tilda Swinton is up for best actress.
But no Globe Awards would be complete without nominations for George Clooney , Brad Pitt and Leonardo Dicaprio.
Though who would raise their heads above the parapet when your host threatens humiliation by humour?
:: List Of Golden Globe Nominees
MOTION PICTURES
Picture, Drama
The Descendants,
The Help
Hugo
The Ides of March
Moneyball
Warhorse
Picture, Musical or Comedy
50/50
The Artist
Bridesmaids
Midnight In Paris
My Week With Marilyn
Actor, Drama
George Clooney, The Descendants
Leonardo DiCaprio, J Edgar
Michael Fassbender, Shame
Ryan Gosling, The Ides of March
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Actress, Drama
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Director
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
George Clooney, The Ides Of March
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Actor, Musical or Comedy
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Brendan Gleeson, The Guard
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50
Ryan Gosling, Crazy, Stupid, Love
Owen Wilson, Midnight in Paris
Actress, Musical or Comedy
Jodie Foster, Carnage
Charlize Theron, Young Adult
Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
Kate Winslet, Carnage
Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Albert Brooks, Drive
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Supporting Actress
Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
Foreign Language
The Flowers Of War
In the Land of Blood And Honey
The Kid With A Bike
A Separation
The Skin I Live In
Animated Film
The Adventures of Tintin
Arthur Christmas
Cars 2
Puss In Boots
Rango
Screenplay
Woody Allen, Midnight In Paris
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon, The Ides Of March
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, The Descendants
Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, Moneyball
Original Score
Ludovic Bource, The Artist
Abel Korzeniowski, W.E.
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Howard Shore, Hugo
John Williams, War Horse
Original Song
Hello Hello (music by Elton John, lyrics by Bernie Taupin), Gnomeo & Juliet
The Keeper (music and lyrics by Chris Cornell) Machine Gun Preacher
Lay Your Head Down (music by Brian Byrne, lyrics by Glenn Close), Albert Nobbs
The Living Proof (music by Mary J Blige, Thomas Newman, Harvey Mason Jr, lyrics by Mary J Blige, Harvey Mason Jr, Damon Thomas), The Help
Masterpiece (music and lyrics by Madonna, Julie Frost, Jimmy Harry) W.E
TELEVISION
Series, Drama
American Horror Story
Boardwalk Empire
Boss
Game Of Thrones
Homeland
Actor, Drama
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Kelsey Grammer, Boss
Jeremy Irons, The Borgias
Damian Lewis, Homeland
Actress, Drama
Claire Danes, Homeland
Mireille Enos, The Killing
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Madeleine Stowe, Revenge
Callie Thorne, Necessary Roughness
Series, Musical or Comedy
Enlightened
Episodes
Glee
Modern Family
New Girl
Actress, Musical or Comedy
Laura Dern, Enlightened
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Laura Linney, The Big C
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
Actor, Musical or Comedy
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
David Duchovny, Californication
Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory
Thomas Jane, Hung
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
Miniseries or Movie
Cinema Verite
Downton Abbey
The Hour
Mildred Pierce
Too Big To Fail
Actress, Miniseries or Movie
Romola Garai, The Hour
Diane Lane, Cinema Verite
Elizabeth McGovern, Downton Abbey
Emily Watson, Appropriate Adult
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce
Actor, Miniseries or Movie
Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey
Idris Elba, Luther
William Hurt, Too Big To Fail
Bill Nighy, Page Eight
Dominic West, The Hour
Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Evan Rachel Wood, Mildred Pierce
Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie
Peter Dinklage, Game Of Thrones
Paul Giamatti, Too Big To Fail
Guy Pierce, Mildred Pierce
Tim Robbins, Cinema Verite
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED
Cecil B DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award: Morgan Freeman
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