The idea was duly scrapped a month later due to the negative response and Ryan Coogler’s film has its Best Picture nomination after all.
The Oscars resolved that issue by pressing on without a compere for the first time since 1989, but the eight Best Picture nominees themselves have all attracted controversy since their release, with some charges more serious than others.
When Malek picked up Best Actor at the subsequent ceremony, he pointedly thanked his stand-in director, Dexter Fletcher, without mentioning Singer.
This year’s Academy Awards had already attracted more than the usual degree of scandal before its nominations were even announced.