14 DAY TRIAL // Ellen DeGeneres ordered pizza during her gig as host of the Oscars 2014, held this Sunday at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles and, even though the whole thing seemed like a stunt at first, it was the real deal. She ordered from a place called Mama’s and Papa’s Pizzeria but, as it turns out, the delivery guy never got to collect his tip.
So, naturally, she asked him on her post-Oscars show to give him his due.
After she took the 3 boxes of pizza and handed out slices to celebrities who said they wanted a little treat, Ellen took Pharrell William’s famous rangers hat and collected money from the same celebrities to tip the guy.
But he wasn’t there anymore, having probably been escorted out of the venue because he didn’t have the proper credentials. Ellen wanted to do right by him, so she invited him on her show to give his tips.
They amounted to about $1,000 (€726.2) in cash, way more than the $300 (€217.8) circulated in the media yesterday. All in all, it wasn’t a bad day for this pizza delivery guy. As a bonus, he got to see his favorite actress, Julia Roberts, up close and personal.
Industry insiders say that, with this little stunt, Ellen actually offered the pizzeria $10 million (€7.26 million) worth of ad time on one of the most popular broadcasts of the year. Not only did they not pay a dime for it, but they also got paid.