Ellen DeGeneres and Oscars stars give pizza delivery man $1000 tip

Ellen DeGeneres leads whip-round of stars including Brad Pitt and Meryl Streep for man who unknowingly delivered pizza for celebrities on live TV

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The delivery man who brought pizza to some of the world's most famous Hollywood actors at the Oscars walked away with a $1000 tip, it has been revealed.

Big Mama's & Papa's co-owner Edgar appeared live on host Ellen DeGeneres' TV show in the US last night to talk about his surprise turn at Sunday night's Academy Awards. He found himself delivering pizza to celebrities including Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep after an anonymous order came in for takeaway 24 hours prior to the Oscars.

Edgar, who thought he was delivering the pizza to writers and producers, arrived at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles to be met by the host herself, who led him on stage. "I was shocked. I didn't know it was going to be something [like] this. It was really crazy," Edgar said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. He revealed that Roberts is one of his favourite stars: "She was my like woman in dreams. I was always watching her movies back in Moscow," he said. "So it was something crazy to me to deliver [her pizza]."

Ellen collected tips for the delivery using the hat of Pharrell Williams, a nominee for the Oscar for best song. Attendees coughed up $600 and the host made up another $400 for a round $1000.

A Big Mama's employee told the Hollywood Reporter the order was for 20 cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms and olive pizzas. "We knew it was going to the Oscars, but didn't know it was for the stars. They just told us was going to be for the people there," said the staff member.

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