Who is Jo Koy? Meet the comedian who joked about Taylor Swift and 'Barbie' at the Golden Globes

• Comedian Jo Koy hosted the 2024 Golden Globes on Sunday.
• His opening monologue was met with backlash after joking about Taylor Swift and "Barbie."

The 2024 Golden Globes had a few buzzy moments, like Jennifer Lawrence cracking jokes and the speculation surrounding the viral clip of Selena Gomez talking to Taylor Swift and Keleigh Teller during the ceremony.

However, host Jo Koy and his opening monologue also got many people talking.

In his 10-minute speech, the comedian took aim at Swift's romance with Travis Kelce and Barry Keoghan's nudity in "Saltburn" before also making a jab at Greta Gerwig's "Barbie."

"'Barbie' is about a plastic doll with big boobies," the comedian said.

Koy's routine was met with plenty of backlash online, with many suggesting he was the wrong choice for hosting the Golden Globes.

When the audience groaned at his "Barbie" joke, he defended himself by saying he didn't write all the jokes.

"Some I wrote, some other people wrote. Yo, I got the gig 10 days ago! You want a perfect monologue?" Yo, shut up!" He said, adding: "You're kidding me, right? Slow down. I wrote some of these, and they're the ones you're laughing at."

Here's what you need to know about Jo Koy.

Jo Koy is a stand-up comedian

Born Joseph Glenn Herbert, the 52-year-old comedian is best known for his work as a stand-up, and he's previously performed on the likes of "Jimmy Kimmel Live," "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon," and "Last Call with Carson Daly."

Koy was also one of many comedians who worked with Netflix when the streamer churned out several stand-up specials in 2017.

In March of that year, Koy's "Live from Seattle" debuted on the platform, and he went on to work with Netflix on three more specials, including 2022's "Live from the LA Forum."

The comedian was announced as the 2024 Golden Globes host in December, which only gave him two weeks to prepare. Before the event, Koy told Variety that he rushed to prepare for the awards ceremony.

"When they asked me, it was an immediate yes, I couldn't believe this was happening. And then I woke up and went, 'Wait a minute. I have two weeks to write jokes!'" he said. "Actually, I think I had less than two weeks because I didn't get my writers until five days later."

He added: "When Tina [Fey] and all those other hosts got the gig, they had months to prepare. I'm literally looking at just days! It's been a crash course in hosting."

Jo Koy previously dated Chelsea Handler

Jo Koy also appeared on "Chelsea Lately" from 2007 to 2014 as a regular panelist for Chelsea Handler's late-night show on E!, and the pair remained friends afterward.

The pair started dating in 2021, although they kept things private for some time, before confirming their relationship on Instagram that September.

In the caption, Handler wrote: "He's on tour, I'm on tour, sometimes we tour together." And in a later post in November 2021, she also said: "Jo has renewed my faith in men."

But the couple went their separate ways in July 2022, and Handler announced their breakup by posting a video originally filmed for their one-year anniversary.

Instead, Handler confirmed that she and Koy were no longer together, writing: "It is with a heavy heart to announce that we have decided together that it is best for us to take a break from our relationship right now."

She added: "This man blew my heart open with love and because of him, my life experience has changed forever. To be loved and adored by @jokoy has been one of the greatest gifts of my life."

When appearing on "Today" in August 2022, Koy said the pair ended things on good terms.

He said: "Just because it's a breakup doesn't mean we have to, like, hate. It doesn't even make sense! We were friends before this, so we're always going to be friends."

Regardless of the reception to his Golden Globes monologue, Koy shot his upcoming Netflix special in Brooklyn in November, and it'll arrive on the streamer later in 2024.