Los Angeles, California - The Golden Globes bounced back from years of scandal and dwindling audiences to draw 9.4 million viewers on Sunday, preliminary figures showed, but that didn't stop host Jo Koy from being savaged by critics.

The ratings bump represented a 50% year-on-year increase for the Globes, which nearly ceased to exist after former broadcaster NBC pulled the plug in 2021 due to outrage over the lack of diversity and ethical scandals of the now-disbanded Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

The Globes relaunched this year under new private ownership, led by billionaire Todd Boehly, with the telecast moved to CBS.

But despite the bounce, the event's ratings remain way down from 2020, when more than 18 million tuned in.

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And comedian Jo Koy, who was brought in last-minute to host the event after several bigger names declined the role, was panned by critics.

His opening monologue fell flat, causing him to protest that he only "got the gig 10 days ago," and to blame the show's writers for many of his ill-received jabs.

A crude joke about the breasts of Barbie dolls was met with silence – as was another comparing Bradley Cooper's large prosthetic nose in Maestro to a penis.

The New York Times dubbed the opening monologue "a highlight reel of mortifying moments," while Vanity Fair called it a "horrid, sophomoric mishmash of lazy jokes."

Perhaps the night's most meme-worthy moment came later as Koy cracked a joke about Taylor Swift, who is regularly featured on NFL telecasts as she cheers on her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce.

"The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL? On the Golden Globes, fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift," said Koy, before the camera cut to the world's biggest pop star, who stared coldly as she sipped her drink.

In an appearance on ABC's GMA3 on Monday, the 52-year-old admitted the criticism got to him, saying: "I'd be lying if [I said] it doesn't hurt."

"I feel bad," he continued, "but I've got to still say that I loved what I did."