In the lighter days prior to the GamerGate scandal, there was an image of Geoff Keighley that went viral. It showed the journalist-turned-presenter sitting uncomfortably, surrounded by Doritos, Mtn Dew, and various bits of Halo paraphernalia. Fans, as they’re wont to do, had a little fun with the picture, and thus the Doritos Pope was born.

Now, as Keighley prepares to host his annual The Game Awards, he’s revealed as part of an interview with Kotaku Splitscreen that Doritos saw a big marketing opportunity. “Doritos called up and asked would I be willing to wear the Doritos Pope outfit to host the entire show,” he said. “And I’m like, ‘Is this a serious conversation?’ They offered a bunch of money but I’m like, ‘No, we’re not going to do that.’ I don’t want to make a mockery of this show; this is to celebrate game developers.”

The interview’s actually pretty good, with Keighley outlining the challenges of finding the right sponsors without ruining the credibility of the show. We’ve always harboured a genuine respect for the Canadian: he comes in for a lot of criticism but it’s clear that he simply loves games and wants to celebrate them. (He should have said yes to Doritos, though!)