Even Nate Bargatze himself admits that his 2025 Emmys stunt could have been executed more flawlessly. During his debut as host of the September 14th ceremony broadcast on CBS, the comedian hatched a plan to curb lengthy acceptance speeches. He pledged to deduct money from a $100,000 donation earmarked for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America for every second a speech exceeded the 45-second time limit, with the promise of adding to the pot if speakers kept their remarks brief.
"A lot of reviews really didn't take kindly to the Boys and Girls Club gag," Nate confessed on the September 24th episode of his Nateland podcast. "But honestly, it came straight from the heart." While the bit faced its fair share of critics, the 46-year-old comedian pointed out that, "Everyone watching at home seemed to love it." After all, he stressed, his intentions were pure. "It was fun, it was entertaining to watch the money dwindle like that," he continued. "I wasn't trying to put anyone on the spot or coerce donations. In my mind, I thought, 'Let's make this lighthearted.'"
As Nate explained, he never intended to "use charity as a prop." Instead, he believed it could be a clever solution to the perennial problem of drawn-out speeches while simultaneously raising funds for a worthy cause. "Honestly, what I envisioned happening in that room," he said, "was that major studios like Netflix or Apple would step up for the winning shows."
The podcaster "didn't anticipate" someone like 15-year-old winner Owen Cooper stepping forward—though Nate was quick to note during the broadcast that he personally covered what would have been deducted after the Adolescence star's speech. "In my head, I imagined it would play out like this: speakers could go over time, but then emerge as heroes by contributing," he explained. "It seemed like a win-win. The whole evening would radiate love, and we'd be giving back to those kids present. Maybe I just didn't explain it clearly enough in the room."
By the ceremony's conclusion, the donation fund stood at a staggering -$60,000, prompting Nate to personally pledge $250,000—with CBS chipping in an additional $100,000—a gesture the Boys & Girls Club deeply appreciated. Admitting that the personal donation caught him off guard, Nate revealed, "I didn't plan on giving that money at the end. I never thought I'd have to. But seeing how things unfolded, I thought, 'Well, I can't back out now.'"
Ultimately, Nate—himself an Emmy nominee—was pleased with how the stunt unfolded, though he found it amusing that it sparked the biggest controversy of his career to date. "It's pretty hilarious that my only 'scandal' resulted in the Boys and Girls Club receiving $350,000," he joked.
And despite the negative reviews of his hosting performance, the 2025 Emmys drew the largest viewership since 2021, according to Variety—a fact Nate emphasized carried immense significance for him, especially as someone who considers himself an outsider to "the typical Hollywood scene." "The fact that I'm somewhat of an outsider to that system," he explained, "was underscored by the ratings spike. That meant everything to me."
