Movie funnyman Billy Crystal has gone back on his word and agreed to host next year's **Oscars **- the first of the 21st century - much to the organisers' relief. The star of Analyze This and City Slickers presented the glittering ceremony seven times in the 1990s, but took a break last year when he was concerned about his heavy workload.
But after his replacement host Whoopi Goldberg refused to ever again compere the show after being blasted for her performance, Crystal came to the rescue of the panicking producers. Husband-and-wife team Richard and Lili Fini Zanuck say, "There's no doubt that when he said yes, we exhaled. It's the one thing people agree on. The only time everyone in the world tells us how to do something is on this show. And they all want Billy. " Crystal has earned four EMMY awards for his writing and hosting of the show, and is universally loved by the critics.