When you get John Cena and thousands of gallons of slime on stage at once, you know it’s going to be messy.
He was one of the many A-list stars at the Nickelodeon “Kids’ Choice Awards” on Saturday at the Forum in Los Angeles. The WWE star hosted for the second consecutive year.
One star Cena was excited to see was “Magic Mike” actor Channing Tatum — but not because of his acting skills. “This year, I am going to do my best to kind of dance a little bit more,” he said. “I’ve seen Channing’s moves when he dances … and they’re good, but not necessarily for kids. Maybe we can have a late show for the parents.”
With R-rated comedy “Blockers” hitting theaters April 5 and WrestleMania in New Orleans on April 8, it’s surprising Cena has time for a side gig — but he said he would’t miss “KCA” for the world.
“I’ve gotten to know Nickelodeon as a brand. They embrace what it means to be a kid and I think that’s very special,” he told TheWrap. “It is the same energy you get from a WWE event.
“The hilarity of the show doesn’t rely on the host but it rests on the host’s ability to play along. A lot of it is with the set, a lot of it is with the audience — every year, they keep doing better and better,” Cena explained.
“The show is a vehicle to do so many moments at once. We have musical performances, we have a bunch of stars, we have awards to give out for the kids — as the host, it’s not my job to make it the ‘John Cena Show.’ It’s to make it the ‘Kids’ Choice Awards,’ so I have to be the vehicle to keep the show moving.”
Here’s who got slimed — and 13 other moments not seen on TV.
Dance off
Cena stayed true to his word and came out dancing with a stage full of kids dressed in neon. One special dancer was Katy Perry’s Backpack Kid, who also wowed guests at the after-party.
March for Our Lives
Cena opened the night by giving a shout out to all the kids who took part in March for Our Lives rallies on Saturday, saying: “It’s so important when kids take charge.” His words definitely got the audience fired up, and Millie Bobby Brown mentioned it as well, saying she hopes her voice can help influence change. When she turned around to show the back of her shirt, it had the names of all the people killed in the Parkland, Florida, shooting.
Blimp-worthy
Giant orange blimps hovered over the crowd giving an aerial view of everyone in the seats.
Snowball fight
It was 70 degrees in L.A but that didn’t stop a snow scene on stage. One section of the audience had fuzzy snowball hats under their seats that they were meant to save for a special moment, but no one could resist putting them on immediately. And then it began to snow … so Channing Tatum naturally started a snow ball fight.
OBJ
New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. made his presence known with a bright orange hoodie and his flash of blonde hair.
Slippery stage
Guests in high heels had a precarious walk through a crowd of kids, up steps and across a slime-covered stage to collect their awards.
Noise alert
Word of warning: don’t come to this show if you have a headache — it’s LOUD! The young audience was encouraged to make a lot of noise and they did.
America’s Got Slime
Heidi Klum and Mel B came in very glamorous sparkly dresses … and left covered in green slime. The “America’s Got Talent” hosts proved they were game for anything by getting on the swings above a huge slime pool, but as they precariously swung back and forth, spurts of green slime erupted from below.
Very Important Pet
The crew was very, very careful carrying out one special winner as Jiff the Pom won best Instagram pet. The VIP came in royally, on a bed fit for a king.
Cleaning crew
The cleaners were kept busy as a slew of people armed with towels dove onto the stage during every carefully timed commercial break to clear it of sticky slime.
粘液
At one point, Cena was asked what slime is in Chinese — and then he recited the answer perfectly. It’s a little known fact that he’s fluent in Mandarin, which he learned because WWE is so big in China.
Rock-less
Cena teased The Rock’s big appearance by wearing an “I ❤ Dwayne Johnson” tee-shirt. But sadly the “Rampage” star was tied up on set and the audience had to make do with a video message from him.
Cena is drowned
Cena survived to the end of the show without getting slimed and then he got bombarded with it. He turned into a walking green hulk and couldn’t stop laughing through the mess.