The 75th Annual Emmy Awards kicked off on an emotional note, as Christina Applegate surprised the star-studded audience to present the first award of the night.
The Dead to Me actress – who has shied away from the spotlight amid her battle with multiple sclerosis – was moved to tears when she immediately received an emotive standing ovation, and many of her Hollywood colleagues looked back at her with their own teary eyes.
For the special appearance, she looked glamorous as ever in a deep red velvet gown with a plunging neckline and long sleeves, and she had her signature blonde hair styled in a sleek, old-Hollywood-esque blow-out.
After stepping up to the podium, Christina was quick to turn the audience's tears into laughter with a candid joke about her health battle, saying: "You are totally shaming me with disability with standing up," and as the applause continued, she further joked that her body was "not by Ozempic."
One of Christina's last public appearances was for Variety's TV FYC Fest back in June alongside Hacks actress Jean Smart, and before that, at the 2023 SAG Awards in February.
It was her first major appearance since announcing she would be retiring from acting, and she stepped out with her daughter Sadie Grace by her side, who she shares with husband Martyn LeNoble.
At the time, she was nominated for the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series award for her role in Dead to Me season three, in which she starred alongside Linda Cardellini.
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She twinned with her daughter, both wearing double-breasted suits, though Sadie paired hers with matching trousers and combat boots, while her mom's turned into a stunning, full-length gown. She accessorized with a cane adorned with stickers, including one which read "FU MS," as well as her daughter's name alongside a heart.
While the Emmys are not typically part of the awards season slate that runs through January to March – and includes the likes of the Golden Globes, the SAG Awards, and culminates with the Oscars – Monday's ceremony is in fact the 2023 ceremony that was initially meant to air in September.
The 2023 round of awards were delayed for four months due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, which ran for over 100 days and officially came to an end on November 9th; the contract was ratified on December 5th.
MORE: Christina Applegate reveals the heartbreaking truth about her life after MS diagnosis
The 2023 Emmys host is Black-ish actor Anthony Anderson, and they are airing live on Fox from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Among top nominees are Succession, with a whopping 27 nominations, followed by The Last of Us with 24 and The White Lotus with 23. Some of the actors nominated are Pedro Pascal, Kieran Culkin, Jennifer Coolidge, Meghann Fahy, Jeremy Allen White, and more.
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