Emmys Awkwardly Play Off John Oliver as He Honors His Dead Dog

John Oliver won his eighth straight Emmy Award for HBO’s Last Week Tonight on Sunday. And things got a bit uncomfortable when the host tried to share a heartfelt message about the death of his beloved dog just as the band was starting to play him off.

“I’d like to thank HBO for not canceling us over the last decade, that was never a guarantee,” Oliver began, humbly. From there, he thanked his wife, and briefly flubbed his son’s name (“That’s gonna come back to haunt me”) before bringing up his family’s dog.

“We have the most fantastic dog,” Oliver said. “She was at our wedding and she got us through the pandemic, she was with us for two pregnancies.” As the band began to play somberly, he joked, “Perfect choice of music! We had to say goodbye to her.”

The next line was bleeped but it was clear from his lips that Oliver told the audience “F— you!” for showing him too much sympathy. “I feel like Sarah McLaughlin right now,” he joked. “She was an amazing dog.”

Realizing what they had done, the band briefly stopped playing, but came back in as Oliver’s speech reached a triumphant crescendo. “This isn’t just for her, this is for all dogs! You are all very good girls, you are very good boys. You all deserve a treat. Play me off now, thanks so much!”