Oscar presenting disasters

With 'Family Guy' creator Seth MacFarlane ready to 'push the boundaries' at the 85th Oscars ceremony this year, it's squeaky bum time for the Academy as they wait to see exactly what it is the controversial 'Ted' director has planned.

Will it be a can't-watch-car-crash, or will MacFarlane replace Ol' Safe Hands himself, Billy Crystal, as producers seek to update the show and make it "entertaining and fresh"? We'll have to wait to find out.

You see, not everyone can be trusted behind that podium come Oscars night. Here's a useful guide for future hosts on how to present the Oscars, using some real-life examples:

[Related feature: Most shocking Oscar ceremony scandals]
[Related feature: Oscar acceptance speech disasters to make you cringe]

James Franco and Anne Hathaway (2011)

This duo might go down as the worst Oscar presenters in history. Firstly, Franco. He couldn't have looked more uncomfortable if he'd had one of the Academy Awards stuffed down the back of his trousers. He said it was ‘cos the material written for him was rubbish (which it was), but dressing up as Marilyn Monroe in a pink dress and blonde wig didn’t help. As for Hathaway... did she really need that many costume changes?

David Letterman (1995)

Late Show host David Letterman's dry wit is hugely popular in America, especially with his cynical East Coast audience, but LA luvvies weren't appreciative of his irreverent hosting style though. His dismissive style of comedy was seen as too disrespectful and a daft joke about Oprah Winfrey caused the Queen of TV to blank him for more than a decade afterwards.

Jerry Lewis (1959)

Professional pratfaller Jerry Lewis had to fill up 20 minutes of air time due to a scheduling error. The comedian could only waffle on for so long before he decided to jump into the orchestra pit to kill time and start playing a trumpet terribly. It was embarrassing. Luckily, the TV network (NBC) pulled the plug and cut to a documentary about pistol shooting instead. We hope someone got fired.

Donald Duck (1958)

1958's ceremony saw Donald Duck co-host along with Bob Hope, Jack Lemmon and David Niven. And it just looked weird. Unsurprisingly.

Chris Rock (2005)

You're not Ricky Gervais and this isn't the Golden Globes. Chris Rock managed to upset a fair few people with his acerbic barbs back in 2005. Saying that some of the Best Picture nominations 'sucked' will do that. Chevy Chase set the precedent in this though – calling the assembled crowd 'Hollywood phonies' back in 1987.

Ellen DeGeneres (2007)

The comedian spectacularly fawned over everyone in the most cringingly awful way imaginable in 2007. She posed for photos with people and then even cried about how 'beautiful' it all was the next day on her talk show.

No hosts (1989)

The academy has tried to hold the Oscars with no hosts seven times (usually to try and trim the running time). They abandoned the idea in 1989 after the show opened with a now infamous skit featuring Rob Lowe and Snow White (played by Eileen Bowman) singing a version of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s ‘Proud Mary’. So embarrassing the Academy has seemingly expunged all traces of it from the internet. Disney considered suing.

Have you got any suggestions for future Oscars' hosts? Do share 'em...