EXCLUSIVE: Ricky Gervais has been pressed into service once again and will host the 77th annual Golden Globes next year.

While the Oscars and the Emmys went hostless this year, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s NBC-broadcast shindig is putting a blast from the past front and center with the After Life creator playing ringmaster and MC for a fifth time on January 5, 2020.

“Once again, they’ve made me an offer I can’t refuse,” said Gervais of the host job for the three-hour show. “But this is the very last time I’m doing this, which could make for a fun evening,” he added with a clear sense of threat for nominees and organizers alike.

Can’t say they weren’t warned.

Fact is the Comcast-owned network, dick clark productions and the HFPA had been looking at a variety of comedians since early this summer to shoulder the hosting gig, but talk kept coming back to Gervais, I hear. After preliminary talks with Team Ricky went well, a formal offer was made and accepted in the last week or so.

Related Story Disney Flips The Switch On Disney+, Formally Entering Streaming Derby; Scattered Glitches On East Coast - Update

After years of the boozy Globes going without a host, Gervais roasted Hollywood at the annual Beverly Hilton-based ceremony in 2010, 2011 and 2012 before handing the reins to Tina Fey and Amy Poehler for three years. Lured back in 2016 (after saying he was done hosting), the often scathing co-creator of The Office was followed by NBC late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Andy Samberg and Killing Eve star and Globes winner Sandra Oh held things in check this year. Now the WME-repped Gervais will be back for the 25th anniversary of the often freewheeling ceremony.

“There is always a palpable electricity in the room when Ricky takes the Globes stage,” NBC Entertainment chairman Paul Telegdy said the record-holding host. “His return as master of ceremonies at the Golden Globes is much anticipated. It is sure to make for an unexpected evening. We can’t wait to see what he has up his sleeve.”

“When Ricky Gervais is at the helm of the Golden Globes Awards, we can always expect the unexpected,” HFPA chief Lorenzo Soria added of the comedian, who has scolded the 90-member group repeatedly in jokes in the past. “We’re excited to see it all unfold on January 5!” The CEO of dcp Mike Mahan chimed in: “In a world where many award shows are opting to go the no-host route, the Golden Globes are going all in! It’s going to be a great night.”

Oh, be careful what you ask for there, gents, in hoping for the ratings traction that eluded the 76th annual Golden Globes.

As well as hosting the Golden Globes, Gervais has another season of After Life coming to Netflix, apparently next year as well.