Conan O'Brien makes brutal dig towards Prince Andrew just minutes into Oscars opening monologue

Oscars host Conan O’Brien kicked off this year’s ceremony with a brutal dig towards the arrest of Prince Andrew.

What a way to start the night, right?

Standing on stage at the Dolby Theatre in LA, Conan’s opening monologue started with a homage to the character of Aunt Gladys from the film Weapons, before quickly diving into more controversial territory.

Acknowledging that this year’s Oscars is the first time in over a decade that no British actors were nominated for Best Actor or Best Actress, Conan said: “[A] British spokesperson said 'yeah, but at least we arrest our pedophiles, so we've got that going for us...'"

The joke, of course, references the recent arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, for misconduct in public office during his time as the UK’s trade envoy.

Why was Prince Andrew arrested?

The release of the Epstein files embroiled the former Prince - a notable friend of Jeffrey Epstein before his death by suicide - had passed on confidential trade reports to Epstein.

The offence carries a maximum term for life imprisonment. Andrew’s brother, King Charles III, said in a statement to media at the time of Andrew’s arrest that “the law must take its course.”

Who are the nominees for Best Actor and Best Actress as this year's Oscars?

Some of the most hotly-contested nominees for Best Actor and Best Actress tonight come from critically acclaimed smashes such as Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another and Sinners, which scored a record-setting 16 total nominations for this year's ceremony.

Many pundits are calling the race for Best Actor a tightly-contested three-way chase between Timothee Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another) and Michael B Jordan (Sinners).

While Best Actress is seemingly a lock for Irish star Jessie Buckley (Hamnet), who has recently picked up a BAFTA and a Golden Globe for her semi-fictionalised role as William Shakespeare's wife, Agnes.

Although some do consider Rose Byrne's acclaimed turn as a grieving mother in If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You as a potential upstart in Buckley's path to glory.