BRIT Awards host Jack Whitehall has revealed that Jared Leto once tried to change the presenter’s script.
Whitehall was asked if anyone had taken one of his jokes “really badly” during a recent appearance on BBC Radio 2’s Scott Mills’ Big Guest Friday, and the comedian then mentioned the Thirty Seconds To Mars frontman.
“He didn’t like his intro,” Whitehall recalled, “and then during the show, whilst I was up on stage hosting it, one of the producers found him by the autocue with his publicist changing my script, actually deleting the intro and typing in his own one,” he continued.
“I’m like Ron Burgundy, I would’ve just read it, but someone found him,” Whitehall joked.
“He wanted me to introduce him as the biggest rock star on the planet, and I wasn’t on board with that – I wanted to introduce him as ‘The Hipster Jesus’, and that was deleted,” he laughed, before saying: “Now the autocue is guarded as well. I’ll have my mum there dressed as Chappell Roan!”
As for this year’s BRITs, Whitehall will be returning to host for the sixth time, with this year’s trophy recently unveiled, as designed by Matthew Williamson and inspired by Manchester.
Harry Styles, Olivia Dean, HUNTR/X’s EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI, Wolf Alice, Mark Ronson, Alex Warren, Sombr and Rosalía will be performing at the ceremony.
Jacob Alon has been confirmed as the winner of the 2026 BRITs Critics’ Choice Award, and those leading the way in terms of nominations this year include Dean, former NME Cover star Lola Young, Sam Fender, Lily Allen and rapper Jim Legxacy.
Other artists being honoured at this year’s BRITs include Mark Ronson, who has been awarded for his Outstanding Contribution to Music, and Noel Gallagher, who has been given the ‘Songwriter Of The Year’ award.
The show will be broadcast on ITV1 in the UK, with performances to be shared worldwide on YouTube. Check out a full list of nominees here.