Lady Gaga set to co-host Oscars watch party with Elton John

Monitoring Desk

LOS ANGELES: Lady Gaga, Billy Porter and Will & Grace star Eric McCormack will join Elton John to co-host the superstar’s charity Oscar watch party, reported The Associated Press.

It is the 30th year that John has hosted a viewing party to raise money for his Elton John AIDS Foundation.

This year’s event marks a return to an in-person gathering after last year’s party was held online due to the pandemic.

The watch party, which will coincide with the Academy Awards being held in Los Angeles on March 27, has raised more than $86 million to date, organizers said.

Singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile will perform during the event.

Porter is the Emmy-winning star of Pose, a show that ended its four-season run at FX last year. He and Gaga have both attended the Oscars in recent years, wearing stunning looks on the red carpet.

McCormack won an Emmy playing Will on NBC’s Will & Grace during its original run in the early 2000s and starred in its recent revival.

“Lady Gaga, Billy Porter and Eric McCormack are not only amazingly talented, but have greatly contributed to LGBTQ+ visibility and inclusion in entertainment – both on screen and in music,” said co-host David Furnish, who is the foundation’s chairman.

“I’m honoured to have this group to join me on stage in West Hollywood Park to advocate for all marginalized groups affected by HIV.”

The foundation fights discrimination against those with AIDS and has programs to provide treatment, prevent infections and lobby governments for programs that help those with HIV.