Oscars: Does anyone remember what won best film last year? Best Actor? Actress?

ITV News' Entertainment Editor Nina Nannar reports from Hollywood as the Oscars gets a new-look, ahead of the 95th Academy Awards.

Do you remember the slap? Of course you do.

When Will Smith took to the stage of the Oscars to strike Chris Rock after the latter made a joke about Smith’s wife Jada having no hair, the shocking incident simply relegated everything that had gone before and after to a side show. 

When Coda made history by becoming the first film from a streaming service to win Best Film, this historic moment was pushed from the headlines as the focus of the slap, and its repercussions dominated. 

It was an unprecedented, horrible moment, that had the Oscar organisers in a spin, slow to respond, clearly unaware initially how they should treat the event.

Indeed around 40 minutes later Smith was given a standing ovation as he returned to the stage to pick up his Best Actor Oscar and give a tearful speech.

The Academy, which subsequently banned Smith from the Oscars for 10 years, admitted its initial response had not been fast enough.

And they are intent that this year they will be ready for the unexpected. 

A crisis team has been set up to deal with any potential disruption, different scenarios apparently rehearsed, so that any required action will be swift. 

Last year's TV audience was the second lowest ever recorded for the Oscars, though there was reportedly a spike in audience numbers after the Will Smith incident.

Organisers will be hoping that the inclusion in the best film race of box office smash hits like the Top Gun and Avatar sequels, taking more than 2 billion pounds between them, will keep audiences engaged this year. In addition the competition for awards is genuinely open this year, many categories too close to call. 

It should in theory mean this year it will be the films that do the talking, rather than any unscripted moments.

But at least with a few days to go, the 95th awards have an already pretty harmless talking point.

The carpet.

The most famous red carpet in the world, the carpet that has hosted the most famous filmmaking talent once a year since 1961. 

The carpet that this year has been changed to champagne. Or beige as it looked to me. Or “you’re asking for a lot of trouble if it rains” colour. 

There is apparently a new creative team in town. Either a brilliant stroke distracting us from last year’s scandalous events.

Or entirely unnecessary as we are still talking about it anyway. And will continue to do so for years, even thought the main culprit, Will Smith will be absent this year.

Hollywood is getting ready for the 95th Oscars, but in truth no one has yet got over the 94th.

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