Kevin Hart Will Sit in the Roast Chair

Netflix is turning up the heat on May 10. Kevin Hart, who helped produce and co-host Netflix’s big live roast of Tom Brady, will now be the target in a live, televised roast on the final night of Netflix Is a Joke Fest 2026.

Who’s Running the Show

Comedian Shane Gillis will host the ceremony at The Kia Forum in Los Angeles. The event will be produced by a familiar team: Kevin Hart and Casey Patterson through Casey Patterson Entertainment, along with Jeff Ross, Amy Zvi, and Hart’s manager Dave Becky, who is listed as an executive producer.

How We Got Here

Hart co-executive produced and co-hosted Netflix’s first major live roast, The Greatest Roast of All Time: Tom Brady. That special was a ratings win, drawing roughly two million viewers on night one and delivering massive streaming numbers in its first week. The roast spent several weeks in Netflix’s Global Top 10, reached the Top 10 in dozens of countries, and has tallied millions of views since. The special also thrust some comics further into the spotlight.

Hart Knows the Drill

Tom Brady later said he probably would not do a roast again, citing concerns about his family. Kevin Hart, by contrast, is no stranger to this format. He served as Roast Master for the Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber in 2015, and he was roasted ahead of receiving the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2024. Now he’s stepping into the hot seat with production credit on this Netflix event.

Festival Plans and Other Appearances

  • Netflix Is a Joke Fest: The third edition runs across Los Angeles from May 4 to May 10, 2026.
  • Hart’s other role: He is involved with the comedy competition series Funny AF, which begins streaming April 20. Taped episodes will lead into live semi-finals and a finale that tie into the festival on May 4 and May 5.
  • Shane Gillis: Besides hosting the roast, Gillis will headline “Shane Gillis & Friends” at the Hollywood Bowl on May 4. He is also preparing a July 17 homecoming headliner at Lincoln Financial Field that is expected to draw more than 60,000 fans.

Representation and Final Notes

Kevin Hart is represented by WME, 3 Arts, and Schreck Rose Dapello. Shane Gillis is represented by CAA, Range Media Partners, and Yorn, Levine, Barnes. Expect the roast to be part spectacle, part sharp comedy, and fully live on May 10 at The Kia Forum.