Jimmy Kimmel returned to late-night television on Tuesday in style, drawing millions of viewers and showing that controversy can be a ratings booster. After nearly a week off the air following backlash over remarks about the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Kimmel combined humour and sincerity to address the storm he’d stirred.
According to ABC, 6.26 million people tuned in, making it Kimmel’s highest-rated regularly scheduled episode in more than a decade — even though the show didn’t air in roughly 23% of US households. Social media buzz was even stronger: ABC reported nearly 26 million views of his monologue across platforms, including 15.3 million on YouTube and 6.3 million on Instagram by Wednesday afternoon.
Kimmel didn’t shy away from the criticism. He opened with a clip of President Donald Trump from Air Force One calling him “no talent” with “no ratings.” Smiling, Kimmel shot back, “Well, I do tonight!” The audience erupted in applause. “You almost have to feel sorry for him,” he added.
The comedian returned to the air six days after his comments sparked outrage and drew pressure from the Trump administration. Disney’s decision to cut short Kimmel’s suspension marked a rare moment of corporate pushback in the face of political pressure. The company was also responding to fans threatening to cancel Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions. Kimmel even joked about it in his monologue: “To reactivate your Disney+ and Hulu account, open the Disney+ app on your smart TV or TV-connected device.”
Throughout the show, Kimmel defended the role of political satire against what he called “bullying” from Trump and his allies. Choked up at moments, he said, “It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man. I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.” He also criticised attempts to politicise the tragedy, noting that Trump supporters were eager to frame Kirk’s assassin “as anything other than one of them.”
Not everyone aired the show. Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair opted to pre-empt Kimmel across about 70 ABC stations, roughly 23% of US households. That meant viewers in cities like Seattle, Salt Lake City, Nashville, New Orleans, and Washington, D.C., missed the broadcast. Nexstar said Wednesday it was still evaluating the show’s status and is in “productive discussions” with Disney.
Even as federal regulators weighed in — with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatening potential fines or license revocations — Kimmel acknowledged conservatives who defended his right to speak. “I don’t think I’ve ever said this before, but Ted Cruz is right,” he quipped to laughter.
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With inputs from Reuters