Billy Crystal will host the Oscars in 2012

Comedian Billy Crystal arrives on stage at Oscars

Well, it seems nobody paid any attention to our five fabulous suggestions for alternate hosts for the Oscars. Billy Crystal is going back to the well for the ninth time to host the 84th Academy Awards according to his Twitter account. Brian Grazer has taken over producing duties from Brett Ratner.

Crystal takes over the podium following the departure of Eddie Murphy yesterday. Crystal characteristically tweeted: “Am doing the Oscars so the young woman in the pharmacy will stop asking my name when I pick up my prescriptions. Looking forward to the show”.

Crystal first hosted the Oscars in 1990, and followed that with a run of three more bats at plate. He would return to host the awards again in 1997, 1998, 2000, and 2004. His record of eight shows, soon to be nine, is second only Bob Hope’s phenomenal eighteen shows.

Crystal made an appearance at the 83rd Academy Awards earlier this year, joking “Some things never change: The producers asked me to say we’re running a little long… so here are the nominees for best picture…”.

Guess we’ll just have to work even harder to get The Muppets, who generously gave Crystal a cameo in their new movie, to host the Oscars in 2013!

The 84th Academy Awards Ceremony will be held in Los Angeles on 27 February 2012.

Here’s a look back at Crystal’s opening to the 64th Academy Awards, almost twenty years ago:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9cERvUX6sE