The Grammys Red Carpet Was Very Noticeably Missing a Certain (Glambot) Guy
According to Variety, following a series of not-so-flattering headlines, Cole Walliser was not hired for Sunday’s show, as E! rethinks “its strategy around future telecasts.”
Photo: Getty Images CelebritiesDirt BagDirt Bag
Want an easy way to figure out if someone is a little too plugged into pop culture? Say the words “Glambot Guy” and if even a hint of recognition flashes across their face, it’s time to get them to book one of those no-phones silent retreats in the woods. (Me, I’m talking about me.)
For those of us who are afflicted with celebrity obsession, it was hard not to notice the Glambot guy’s absence on the Grammys red carpet. Since 2016, Glambot Guy, aka Cole Walliser, has been the shepherd of E!’s proprietary high-speed camera, with the power to make or break a celebrity before the awards show host has even attempted their first joke.
So where was Walliser and his signature mane of curls on Grammy night? According to “network insiders” who spoke to Variety, Cole was not hired for Sunday’s event as the company rethinks “its strategy around future telecasts” after a series of bad headlines about the former red carpet staple. And yes, J.Lo is involved.
Everything began in January, on the Golden Globes red carpet, when viewers noticed that Jennifer Lopez seemed oddly cold toward Cole—she didn’t speak to or even acknowledge him at all.
@…shlokika1 Jlo didn’t even look at Cole #jenmiferlopez #glambot #goldenglobes ♬ original sound – notshlokika
Personally, I imagined this is just how J.Lo is with 99.9% of the population, but people took notice. Cole was quick to come to J.Lo’s defense, saying, “Everybody on the internet should just calm down. I’m not here to tell anybody how they should feel, but there was only one other person outside of JLO who was in that conversation, and that was me.”
View this post on Instagram
Alright! Glambot guy says it’s OK, J.Lo clearly isn’t commenting on this (or maybe even aware of it), so it’s time to pack it up and move on, right? Of course not.
All this discourse resurfaced a 2019 exchange between Cole and Yinka Animashuan, in which Walliser was extremely dismissive toward the bride-to-be about her ability to afford the Glambot for her upcoming wedding. Given that Yinka is a Black woman, the whole exchange reeked of microaggressions that Animashuan told People left her feeling “hurt” and “angry.”
Hi everyone! This is what I’m referring to 😄 https://t.co/y7RRIK2QwD pic.twitter.com/1RVLLcR99u
— D.A.R.E Capo (@YungYinkv) January 19, 2026
The public quickly went from defending Glambot Guy to calling for his immediate cancellation (whatever that means), prompting Cole to respond with his very own Instagram apology reel. Just like some of his favorite celebs!
In the video, Walliser acknowledged the “dismissive” and “curt” tone of the emails, but said that was due to being “overwhelmed” as the sole contact point for the Glambot and its bookings. Walliser then went on to say that being “labeled racist” was the worst part of the recent backlash, saying, “I’m half-Chinese and growing up, issues of identity, race, and belonging deeply affected me, and I would never intend to inflict that onto anybody else.”
But unfortunately for Cole, this apology was not enough for the good folks at E!, who quietly axed Walliser from the weekend’s Grammys. Is Glambot shepherd one of those jobs that maybe we should just leave to AI? Only time will tell.
- Evanescence has spoken. (And removed “Bring Me To Life Remix” featuring Nicki Minaj from all platforms.) [Twitter]
- Keke Palmer is a member of the Whoopi Goldberg Society for Female Celebs Who “Don’t Want Somebody In Their House.” [People]
- Winning an Oscar for “Monster’s Ball” didn’t do shit for Halle Berry. [Deadline]
- The “Smartless” guys clearly didn’t Google Charli xcx before interviewing her. [Reddit]
- Netflix HQ is overflowing with unsold Meghan Markle jam. [Page Six]
- Adan Banuelos was arrested for public intoxication days after his breakup with Bella Hadid. And you think you’d be handling it any better? [E! News]
- Everybody chill. Bad Bunny is not engaged. [TMZ]
- Stephon Diggs officially creates the “dating Cardi B” to “carrying a rare Birkin” pipeline. [Page Six]
Keep scrolling for more great stories.