Emmys 2022: Fans upset after Norm Macdonald and Olivia Newton-John left out of In Memoriam segment

Macdonald died in 2021 and was actually recognised during last year’s Emmys

Tuesday 13 September 2022 16:51 BST

Host Kenan Thompson opens up Emmys 2022 with 'Friends'-inspired dance number

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Fans were surprised by Olivia Newton-John and Norm Macdonald’s absence from the Emmys 2022’s In Memoriam segment.

The Australian actor and singer, best known for her leading role as Sandy in Grease, died in August of this year from breast cancer. She was 73.

While Newton-John was mostly a film actor, she appeared in a number of television shows, including Australian singing series Kommotion, 1993’s drama series Snowy River: The McGregor Saga, and the one-season 2008 show Sordid Lives: The Series.

Meanwhile, viewers were confused by Canadian comedian Norm Macdonald’s absence from the night’s tributes.

However, the Saturday Night Live alum passed away in 2021 and was honoured during last year’s award ceremony. This year he received three posthumous nominations for his Netflix special Nothing Special, which was partly why fans were shocked not to see him in the in memorial segment – unaware that he was celebrated last year.

Betty White, Bob Saget, and Sidney Poitier were among the late TV celebrities remembered in Monday (12 September) evening’s live broadcast from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

The ceremony drew strong reactions from fans, with some mocking its “atrocious” opening dance sequence to Friends and Law and Order: SVU theme songs.

And host Kenan Thompson wasted no time cracking a joke about Leonardo DiCaprio’s relationship history.