For years, everyone thought Cole Walliser was the Glambot guy, but it turns out there are actually three other names connected to it who are way bigger behind the scenes — so here’s what they all actually do.
Last week, a video of JLo supposedly ignoring Cole Walliser at the Glambot went super viral. Since then, the story has spiralled, with alleged emails circulating where Cole is accused of assuming a potential customer couldn’t afford him. Since then, he’s received a lot of backlash online.
And as more stuff has come out, more people connected to Glambot have started coming forward: Creators, directors, engineers, the lot. Um, you’d be forgiven for being completely lost, because I was too. So here’s a simple who’s who to clear it all up.
Gary Snegaroff: The actual tech creator
The technology and concept were developed by Gary Snegaroff (from NBC/E! events) to improve red carpet coverage. The original director/operator in 2016 was @JosephKahn (the director), who designed key elements like the lighting, camera work, lens choices, and shooting methodology…
— Charles LaRocca (@LaRoccaism) January 20, 2026
Gary is the person who built the Glambot system itself. He developed the technology specifically for E! and NBC live events, meaning he’s the one behind the physical camera system and the robot arm setup.
He created the hardware, built the system, and made Glambot possible as a piece of tech. So, he did the actual engineering side of it all.
Joseph Kahn: The creative brain and original vision
I keep hearing my name and Glambot. Yes I created it back in 2016 for E! The lighting, camera work, lens choices, and methodology are all my design. I ended up having to both operate and win a Grammy at the same time at the Grammys lol. It was too much. It’s fun but I’m busy. https://t.co/ex5h78LAEb
— Joseph Kahn (@JosephKahn) January 20, 2026
Joseph is the one who gave Glambot its style and identity. He designed the lighting, camera movement, lens choices, visual storytelling, and safety methodology.
He’s also the one who recently came forward on Twitter and said very clearly that Glambot was his creative design back in 2016 for E!.
Basically, Joseph made Glambot what people actually recognise today: The look, the vibe, the drama, the slow-mo effect, the whole cinematic feel. He even said his original vision was about storytelling, not just celebrities doing poses.
Nigel Barker: The former director
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Nigel is the one who actually ran Glambot at major events. He directed it during the 2017 Golden Globes and Grammys, and he’s the one who recently revealed the real-world rental price.
According to him, a basic Glambot package costs around $25k in New York or LA, which completely contradicts the alleged $300k wedding quotes that went viral.
Cole Walliser: The current director
Cole is the current director of the Glambot and the person most people associate with it. He runs it at red carpet events, directs celebrities during the shoots, gives instructions, hypes them up, and is part of the viral moments people see online.
So while he didn’t create the tech, design the system, or invent the concept, he became the recognisable face of Glambot, which is why the internet labelled him “the Glambot guy” in the first place.
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