The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards lit up the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on September 14, 2025, celebrating television’s biggest stars and shows.
But while the night promised prestige and applause for celebs, it also came with plenty of eyebrow-raising blunders that had fans cringing in the background.
From a “rude” award acceptance to questionable fashion choices and a speech countdown that fell flat, here are the most awkward and cringeworthy moments from the 2025 Emmys.
#1 Adam Randall Being “Rude And Bossy”
Adam Randall rubbed the internet, and even a big Hollywood name, the wrong way with his Emmys win body language.
He won the trophy for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series for his show Slow Horses, presented to him by actor-producer Jesse Williams.
As Adam reached the stage, he barely greeted Williams with a weak handshake, not even looking at him while doing so.
With his shoulders spread broad and wide, he skipped accepting the award and instead took the mic for his speech, pointing at the Grey’s Anatomy star to hold onto his trophy while he spoke.
People online called the director’s behavior and interaction with Jesse “rude.”
“Just me or this was kind of rude and bossy? Gee! Body language! #Awkward Jesse Williams looked uncomfortable and kind of mad at the end,” one user wrote.
“Maybe he should hold his own award next time.”
#2 Speech Countdown
Stand-up comedian Nate Bargatze hosted the Emmys with a surprising “insult” to all the winners.
While trying to keep acceptance speeches under 45 seconds, what started out as a funny rule turned into a blunder with Nate’s speech counter.
Every time someone’s speech went over the 45-second mark, money was deducted from the $100,000 he had promised to donate to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
As a result, winners began rushing through their thank-yous, with some panicking as they watched the numbers drop on a large screen displayed on stage.
It sparked a wave of backlash online, with fans criticizing both the comedian and Emmys for “running a countdown donation clock.”
One displeased fan wrote on social media, “This is a night to celebrate people’s work. The countdown clock is an insult. It should only go up, not down. Let people who put their blood, sweat and tears have a moment.”
“No wonder so many speeches are getting frazzled when they can see the counter going down while they’re on stage!” another user commented.
#3 Walton Goggins’ Awkward PDA Moment With Wife
The White Lotus star Walton Goggins and his wife Nadia Conners were dubbed “awkward” and “weird” by the online community.
As the two hit the red carpet in twinning white outfits, their PDA moment did not sit well with fans.
In a clip shared by Variety on Instagram, Walton and Nadia exchanged a quick peck on the lips, though the actor didn’t seem too enthusiastic.
Nadia then asked her husband for a second kiss, which he delivered, but according to eagle-eyed fans, Goggins’ body language was “off” throughout the interaction.
Some netizens even went so far as to question their marriage, calling the kiss “a show for SOMEbody.”
“I literally just got second hand embarrassment from that…” commented one user, while another echoed, “Do they sleep in different rooms? Body language is so off.”
“He pulled away twice from the kiss and then literally wiped it from his mouth. Yeah. Super f**king awkward.”
Image source: Variety / Instagram
#4 Elizabeth Banks Calling Out Male Nominees
A shout-out moment in support of women quickly turned into an awkward blunder for actress Elizabeth Banks.
The actress was at the Emmys to present Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
Before announcing the winner, she highlighted how the category was dominated by women, with four female nominees and only one male.
However, in an embarrassing twist, the only male nominee, Philip Barantini, ended up taking home the award for his series Adolescence.
This prompted netizens to share their thoughts on X, with one fan writing, “Elizabeth Banks making a whole deal about how this was the first time that a director’s category had four women nominees only for the only nominated man to end up winning.”
Another user commented, “Elizabeth Banks made a whole thing about there being 5 women and 1 man in the category, only for the man to still win #emmys.”
#5 Jennifer Coolidge’s Monologue
Jennifer Coolidge did not hold back while presenting the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series onstage.
Before announcing the winner, Jennifer delivered a three-minute sketch monologue, talking about anything.
She outed actress Elizabeth Debicki and herself for using Ozempic, joking, “At least hers is working!”
She also took a dig at her co-stars from The White Lotus seasons 1 and 2, saying they had “removed” her from the cast’s group chat and didn’t include her on an Ibiza trip.
But while the 64-year-old actress may have thought she provided comic relief for the audience, fans at home couldn’t have disagreed more.
“Is Jennifer Coolidge okay? What the hell is this bit?” wrote one displeased netizen, while another complained, “Are there people who genuinely find Jennifer Coolidge funny?”
“Why is it taking Jennifer Coolidge 5 years to announce the nominees?”
#6 Malin Akerman Red Carpet Confession
Malin Akerman has no filter when it comes to sharing red carpet TMI about her love life.
During a red carpet interview, joined by her The Hunting Wives co-star Brittany Snow, Malin revealed that she and her husband, Jack Donnelly, got pregnant while she was reading the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy by E.L. James.
She cheerfully shared, “I remember reading Fifty Shades of Grey and I got pregnant that summer. It’s one of those books where you’re like, God! I gotta keep reading… It is one of those super salacious reads…”
This left Brittany speechless as her jaw dropped with a look of shock in her eyes.
Reacting to Snow’s expression, one fan wrote on X, “Brittany’s jaw dropping when Malin mentioned being pregnant while reading 50 shades??”
#7 Tina Fey’s Jab At Drake
Tina Fey poured gasoline on the already heated feud between rappers Kendrick Lamar and Drake.
Drake and Lamar’s feud has dominated the hip-hop world for over a decade now.
While presenting the award for Outstanding Variety Special (Live), where Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance was also nominated, Fey cracked a joke that didn’t land well with fans.
She sarcastically said, “If Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime special wins, woooo, I’m really gonna hear it from Drake… and Drake and I are supposed to play pickleball tomorrow…”
“Nobody laughed at the Drake joke at the Emmys but the fact there was a joke still is ridiculous,” wrote one fan.
Others echoed the sentiment, with comments like, “That joke was trash,” and, “Extremely lame. Someone in the writing room was lacking.”
#8 Kori King And Joella’s Weird Outfits On The Red Carpet
RuPaul’s Drag Race stars Kori King and Joella dressed up as legendary singer-dancer Michael Jackson and a life-sized Labubu doll, respectively.
The two even posed in character on the red carpet of the event for the assembled paparazzi.
Kori wore a red shirt paired with black pants and a matching hat, while Joella showed up in a full-body furry suit, wearing a Chinese midi dress and carrying a purse that looked like a Chinese food takeout box.
Following their appearance, netizens slammed the reality TV stars over their “trashy” looks.
“Thanks for reminding me why I don’t watch this trash show,” wrote one netizen.
“Looks so trashy and cheap…..lol,” commented another.
One user took a dig at Kori and Joella’s outfits, expressing that they did not understand “these choices at all.”
#9 James Burrows’ Reaction
James Burrows couldn’t keep a straight face after his show lost the award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series.
His project Mid-Century Modern was beaten by The Studio, directed by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen.
When the winners were announced, the camera cut to James, who looked visibly displeased, a reaction that quickly went viral online.
Fans couldn’t help but find the moment hilarious.
“The director at the #Emmys who put the camera on legendary sitcom director James Burroughs to capture his face… deserves a serious raise,” wrote one fan.
“And kudos to Burroughs for refusing to hide his disdain. LOL.”
One netizen simply wrote, “James Burrows was not happy.”
#10 Nate Bargatze Wasn’t Loved As A Host
The 2025 Emmys was hosted by Nate Bargatze, who got harshly roasted on social media for his lackluster and “cringe” hosting skills.
Instead of delivering a traditional opening monologue, Bargatze kicked off the ceremony with a Saturday Night Live–style skit that fell flat.
Moreover, his idea of introducing a speech counter to keep acceptance speeches under 45 seconds sparked backlash from both fans and industry names.
Criticizing the host’s speech counter gimmick, the Big Bang Theory producer Bill Prady, wrote on X, “Showing a tote board ticking down while people thank the people who helped them is just cringe.”
Meanwhile, fans mocked Nate’s hosting, comparing him to Jimmy Kimmel.
One viewer wrote, “Nate Bargatze is the worst Emmys host ive ever had to watch and that’s saying something considering Jimmy Kimmel has hosted 3 times.”
Another bluntly added, “Can’t believe they chose this stuttering buffoon as this year’s host… was the budget really that low.”
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