After years of holding the mic and roasting everyone else, Kevin Hart has finally taken the hot seat. The Roast of Kevin Hart aired live on Netflix on Sunday, May 10, as the grand finale of Netflix Is a Joke Fest — and the lineup of roasters delivered one of the most talked-about comedy events in recent memory.
The Roast Master Becomes the Roasted
It’s almost time for the roast master to become the roasted. After years of dominating stages and box offices with his comedy, Kevin Hart — who hosted The Roast of Tom Brady back in 2024 and is fresh off discovering the next great comedian on Funny AF with Kevin Hart — found his feet held to the fire, surrendering the mic to a roomful of flamethrowers for The Roast of Kevin Hart.
For someone who has built a career on fearless comedy, being on the receiving end was always going to be appointment television.
Who Hosted the Roast of Kevin Hart?
Shane Gillis served as the official host and roastmaster for the evening. One of stand-up comedy’s fastest-rising stars, Gillis has been on a remarkable upward trajectory — coming off a successful Netflix comedy series Tires and a nationwide arena tour. His sharp, unpredictable style set the perfect chaotic tone for the night.
Gillis kicked off the show with a series of blistering jokes, calling out the dais and warming up the Kia Forum crowd before Kevin Hart made his grand entrance — ushered in, fittingly, by Usher himself, who treated the audience to a song loaded with height jokes before Hart cut a promo back at him.
Kevin Hart Roast Lineup: The Full Roasters
Netflix kept much of the lineup under wraps until the show aired, making it all the more exciting to watch unfold live. Here is the confirmed roster of roasters who took the stage:
- Shane Gillis – Official Host and Roastmaster
- Jeff Ross – The “Roastmaster General,” veteran of more celebrity roasts than almost any other comedian alive, also served as Executive Producer. Ross teased beforehand that “revenge” would be the theme of the night.
- Michael Che – Saturday Night Live cast member and co-anchor of Weekend Update
- Tony Hinchcliffe – Host of Kill Tony and no stranger to the roast format
- Pete Davidson – Comedian and pop culture fixture
- Chelsea Handler – Veteran comedian and talk show host
- Big Jay Oakerson – Stand-up comedian and podcaster
- Draymond Green – NBA star and Golden State Warriors forward, who brought the sports world to the comedy stage
- Usher – R&B icon who opened the night with a musical performance before taking some swings of his own
The night was packed with surprise energy, with Jeff Ross anchoring the dais as the seasoned professional who knows exactly how far to push — and then pushes a little further anyway.
One Notable Absence: Nikki Glaser
One name that was not on the Kevin Hart roast lineup was Nikki Glaser. The comedian, who became the undeniable breakout star of the Tom Brady roast with a relentless and viral set, confirmed that a scheduling conflict prevented her from attending. Her absence was felt by fans who were hoping to see a repeat of her legendary Tom Brady performance.
Where and When Did The Roast Air?
The Roast of Kevin Hart aired live on Netflix on Sunday, May 10, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, broadcast from the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Los Angeles — one of the country’s premier live entertainment venues.
The special ran approximately three hours, giving each roaster plenty of time to dig in. It was the headline event closing out Netflix Is a Joke Fest, a week-long comedy festival running May 4–10 with over 475 shows, 500+ artists, and 45+ venues across Los Angeles.
Netflix subscribers on any tier — including the ad-supported plan — could stream the event live, and the special remains available on demand after the broadcast.
The Theme: Revenge
Jeff Ross set the tone early, teasing that the central theme of the evening would be revenge. And given Hart’s history of being an exceptionally sharp and savage roaster himself — including his work hosting the Tom Brady roast, where he helped orchestrate one of the most vicious and hilarious celebrity roastings in recent history — there was no shortage of motivation for the dais to come ready.
Hart is uniquely suited for this kind of treatment. He has spent years building a persona grounded in self-deprecating honesty about his personal failures and public missteps, giving roasters a rich vault of material to draw from. The format works best when the subject is both vulnerable enough to hit and confident enough to absorb it — Hart checks both boxes.
How Does This Compare to the Tom Brady Roast?
The Tom Brady roast, which aired on Netflix in 2024 and was hosted by Kevin Hart himself, has earned over 26 million total views and generated viral clips that are still circulating today. Nikki Glaser’s performance in particular drove conversation for weeks after the broadcast.
The Kevin Hart roast carries expectations set equally high, if not higher. Hart is a global comedy icon — Philadelphia-born, arena-filling, and one of the most recognizable entertainers on the planet. Netflix clearly believes the event can match or surpass its predecessor, and based on the caliber of the roast lineup assembled, they may well be right.
About Netflix Is a Joke Fest
The Roast of Kevin Hart served as the closing event for Netflix Is a Joke Fest, the streaming platform’s massive annual comedy celebration. The festival featured over 350 events across Los Angeles, produced by Netflix in partnership with Live Nation, and included stand-up specials, podcast recordings, table reads, and live tapings.
The festival has become one of the most significant comedy events in the entertainment calendar, and making the Kevin Hart roast its finale was a statement of intent from Netflix about where live comedy is heading.
How to Watch The Roast of Kevin Hart
If you missed the live broadcast, the special is still available to stream on demand at netflix.com. All you need is an active Netflix subscription.
For the full warm-up experience, Netflix is also still streaming The Roast of Tom Brady — the perfect primer before watching Kevin Hart find out what it feels like to be on the other end of the jokes.
Drop your thoughts in the comments — who do you think delivered the most savage set of the night, and did the Kevin Hart roast live up to the hype? Follow along for all the highlights, reactions, and everything that comes next.