Murphy quits as Oscars host

Eddie Murphy has bowed out of his role as host of the Oscars following his friend Brett Ratner’s decision to leave the show as producer because of an uproar over a gay slur.

The news of Murphy’s decision came a day after Ratner quit as producer of the February 26 Academy Awards show.

Ratner left amid criticism of his use of a pejorative term for gay men in a question-and-answer session at a screening of his action comedy 'Tower Heist', which stars Murphy and Ben Stiller.

Murphy said in a statement issued by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that he had looked forward to being host at the Oscars but that he understands and supports “each party’s decision with regard to a change of producers”.

Academy president Tom Sherak bid Murphy farewell graciously.

“I appreciate how Eddie feels about losing his creative partner, Brett Ratner, and we all wish him well,” Mr Sherak said.

Still, losing Murphy is a blow to a ceremony that has struggled to boost its image amid a general decline in its TV ratings over the last couple of decades and a rush of awards shows that appeal to younger crowds, such as the MTV Movie Awards.

Oscar planners have sought to shorten the show and have tried new ways to present awards in the hope of livening things up.

They also have experimented with unexpected choices as hosts, which worked nicely with the song-and-dance talents of Hugh Jackman three years ago but backfired at last season’s show, when Anne Hathaway was paired with lacklustre co-host James Franco.

When the academy picked Murphy in September, it marked a return to the traditional funnyman as host, a formula that delivered some of the best-remembered Oscar pageants when Bob Hope, Johnny Carson and Billy Crystal ran the show.

Academy officials would not discuss the personnel changes or plans to replace Ratner and Murphy. Ratner’s producing partner for the upcoming ceremony – Don Mischer who co-produced last year’s Oscars – remains on board for the show.

Any decision on who will replace Murphy as host is unlikely to come until Oscar planners make a decision on whether to bring in another producer to work with Mischer.