People shocked after seeing 'embarrassing' meal celebs served at Critics' Choice Awards

The Critics’ Choice Awards in California may have seen Timothée Chalamet walking away with the Best Actor gong, Frankenstein winning the best Costume Design award, and Sinners getting gold for Best Score - but all anyone can talk about is the food.

When it comes to Hollywood events, us mere mortals expect glitz, glamour, and celebrities walking away with jaw-dropping goody bags filled with priceless swag.

We also anticipate that between clapping and schmoozing with their industry peers, they’re guzzling high quality champagne and munching on mouthwatering food.

However, the 31st Critics' Choice Awards, which proceeds the Golden Globes, the Oscars, and the Actor Awards in the celebratory film character, has proved that’s not always the case.

All was revealed when Janelle James, star of Abbott Elementary, won the Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

Janelle James called out food options at the Critics' Choice Awards (Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Critics Choice Association)

After beating out the likes of Peacemaker’s Danielle Brooks, Rebecca Wisocky, who was nominated for her role in Ghosts, and Hacks’ Hannah Einbinder, the 46-year-old took to the stage to jokingly blast event organisers.

During her speech, she alleged that at every Critics' Choice Awards ceremony she’d been invited to, she’d never been fed a proper meal.

"The best thing about being nominated four times is I finally realised they're never gonna feed us at this thing,” James alleged. “It's gonna be grapes and ice cream every year, but this makes up for it!”

The actor’s claims have been backed up by Kyle Buchanan, the New York Times’ award season columnist.

Whilst attending the star-studded event on 4 January, he uploaded an image of the 'snack plate' he’d been served to X, formerly known as Twitter.

In the image, Buchanan was seemingly about to tuck into two squares of cheese, eight red grapes, nine green grapes, and some fresh tomato salsa.

Other items that could be seen included: dried fruit, crackers, bread, hummus, a pastry-like item, and two skewers featuring a plum tomato, basil, and a mozzarella ball.

Another Critics' Choice Awards attendee has revealed what was on the menu (X/kylebuchanan)

“Hello from the Critics Choice Awards and our dinner, this snack plate. Follow along for updates…,” he wrote.

Following James and Buchanan’s snack plate discussions, social media has been having their say.

“Ugh… this is embarrassing for ALL parties involved,” replied one user.

A second typed: “This looks like a meal on a United flight, not at an award show.”

Someone else has hilariously compared the grazing plate to the infamous Fyre Festival disaster relief-style cheese sandwiches on white bread with processed cheese and a sad salad.

“Plate giving Fyre Festival,” they commented.

“That was my exact thought,” echoed someone else.

Funnily enough this isn’t the first time that the Critics Choice Awards has received backlash for the food its served its guests

Last year, the ceremony went viral for serving up individually wrapped slices of pizza.

The Holdovers’ Paul Giamatti actually referenced pizzagate on stage, asking if ‘Everybody [got[ their pizza in a bag, by the way?'

Actor Paul Giamatti spoke about the food at last year's ceremony (Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Critics Choice Association)

“I think that’d be a good endorsement. Paul Giamatti for pizza in a bag,” he added.

Food at the Academy Awards, however, is a little more upmarket, according to Good Morning America.

World-renowned restauranteur Wolfgang Puck was behind the Asian-inspired menu last year, which included smoked salmon served on an Oscar-shaped matzo cracker, steak tartare, and chicken pot pie.

Tequila Don Julio was celebrating its eighth year at the event, serving up classic cocktails, including a sea salt water-infused espresso cocktail, according to People.