Oscars Host Neil Patrick Harris Shocks Audience With Opening Joke

Neil Patrick Harris has come out with some controversial one-liners in his time, but his opening joke at last night’s Oscars left the audience speechless.

The star-studded audience looked on in horror as he said: "Welcome to the 87th Oscars. Tonight we honour Hollywood's best and whitest - sorry, I mean brightest."

The camera then panned to the audience for their reaction and several faces, including Benedict Cumberbatch, didn't look impressed.

Although the audience were shocked, plenty of viewers at home thought he was right to call out the lack of diversity in this year’s nominees.

Neil Patrick Harris wins the Oscars one sentence in. "We're here to recognise the best & the whitest - sorry BRIGHTEST" On point! #Oscars

— Eoghan McDermott (@eoghanmcdermo) February 23, 2015

Luckily, Harris pulled it back and raised some laughs from the audience with his quips throughout the night – including a memorable Birdman parody.

When it appeared NPH was late for his cue, the cameras found him backstage with his robe caught in his dressing room door. We then see him walking backstage in his underwear, as Oscar nominee Michael Keaton did in the movie, before he emerged on stage to introduce the next presenters in his undies.

This year’s host also couldn’t resist having a joke at the expense of John Travolta, who mispronounced Idina Menzel’s name at last year’s Oscars, calling her "Adele Dazeem."

Harris quipped that Benedict Cumberbatch is what you get “when you ask John Travolta to pronounce Ben Affleck.”