Golden Globes: Host Ricky Gervais gets Hollywood hot and bothered

Comedian Ricky Gervais, hosting the show for a second year, got a mixed reaction for his sharp-tongued presenting style.

The 49-year-old tackled scientology, gay celebrities pretending to be straight, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association taking bribes, Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp only being nominated to ensure they would come to the ceremony and introduced Bruce Willis as Ashton Kutcher's father.

Neither Depp or Willis appeared particularly amused by the former Office star's remarks.

"It's going to be a night of partying and heavy drinking," Gervais began his opening monologue, sipping from a glass of beer.

"Or, as Charlie Sheen calls it, breakfast."

He also took the time to have a swipe at Mel Gibson, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner and Paul McCartney's ex-wife Heather Mills.

Talking about multi-millionaire Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, he said: "Heather Mills calls him the one that got away."

Alec Baldwin was seen wiping a tear from his eye at the wisecracks, while Robert de Niro, who was handed a lifetime achievement award, dissolved in laughter.

But Gervais failed to reappear for large parts of the show and not everyone was amused by his gags.

The New York Daily News called him "tasteless, bordering on nasty", while the LA Times said his jokes set "a corrosive tone" for the night.

American film producer Harvey Weinstein joked that Gervais would "not make it out of town tonight".

He said: "There are seven people that we've hired to kill him and deservedly so.

"Knowing that Ricky Gervais will never work again means a lot to me, I'm going to make sure of it."

The King's Speech director Tom Hooper said: "Do you know how edgy he was? LA is a careful town - my God he was unbelievable.

"I thought he was hilarious but will he ever present another award show again? I don't know but if he went out, he went out burning."

Australian actor Guy Pearce joked: "He could have gone further, I think there were a few more lines to cross."