Countdown to Oscars: Neil Patrick Harris on how he’s preparing for hosting the big night

He’s promising a musical number, a hint of magic and lots of stars.

Of hosting the Oscars on Sunday Neil Patrick Harris says: ‘I feel like it’s your job to be out there a lot – like a dinner party. … The host is the puppet master with an ear to what’s going on when you’re not on stage to being on stage to calming people down, to commenting on things to working hard but not too hard.’

“The most fun part about getting to host the Oscars has to be the access,’ he adds. ‘So many people are saying yes to being a part of it – in whatever context you need. We’re actually going to be using people in interesting ways.’