Emmy host Cedric the Entertainer says stuffiness is banned

By LYNN ELBER
AP Television Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — As busy as Cedric the Entertainer is with his sitcom “The Neighborhood,” he quickly said yes when asked to host his first major awards show. Then he sought advice on how to handle Sunday’s Emmy ceremony. He reached out to Steve Harvey and others on his call list who have hosted big events. The Emmy ceremony faces the challenge of ongoing COVID-19 precautions, which have forced it from a theater into a glammed-up tent and limited the number of stars in attendance. But Cedric says the ceremony will avoid being stuffy and bring viewers “behind the velvet rope.” The Emmy Awards will air on CBS at 8 p.m. EDT.