American late-night television has been a space for satire, social commentary, and humour, but in today’s politically charged climate, even jokes can have serious consequences. The latest example comes from Jimmy Kimmel, who recently recounted the story of how his ABC show, Jimmy Kimmel Live! was abruptly pulled off the air last month. Appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Kimmel shared candid details about the unexpected call that left him thinking his show and career were finished for good.
Jimmy Kimmel reveals where he was when he received the call from ABC
During his conversation with Colbert, Kimmel revealed that the news came just before taping an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! in mid-September. It was about 3:00 pm when he got a phone call from ABC, and they usually tape at 4:30 pm, Kimmel said. At the time, he was writing in his office, so Kimmel stepped into the bathroom to take the call. That’s when the network executives told him they were pulling the show. He said:
“It was about 3:00; we tape our show at 4:30, “I’m in my office, typing away as I usually do. I get a phone call. It’s ABC. They say they want to talk to me. This is unusual: They, as far as I knew, didn’t even know I was doing a show previous to this. “So I go into the bathroom, and I’m on the phone with the ABC executives. And they say, ‘Listen, we want to take the temperature down. We’re concerned about what you’re going to say tonight, so we’ve decided the best route is to take the show off the air.’”
The audience on Colbert’s show booed upon hearing this, prompting Kimmel to quip, “That’s exactly what I said, I started booing too.” He admitted that after losing a ‘vote’ with ABC executives, he called in his producers and ‘turned white,’ believing it was the end of the line. The sudden cancellation of his show had left him confused and uncertain about his and his show’s future.
ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s show after a controversial monologue
The suspension of Kimmel’s show came after a controversial monologue in which Kimmel referenced right-wing activist, Charlie Kirk’s suspected killer and the conservative outrage that followed. Two days later, FCC Chair, Brendan Carr threatened to revoke ABC affiliate licenses, and major station groups Nexstar and Sinclair refused to air the show.
ABC responded by pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live! for several days. The sudden cancellation forced producers to send home a seated audience and scrap a segment featuring chef, Christian Petroni’s meatballs and polenta. Ironically, musical guest, Howard Jones performed, Things Can Only Get Better, a song later aired in a future episode after Kimmel’s reinstatement.
Stephen Colbert shared his own cancellation shock
Stephen Colbert, whose Late Show is set to end in 2026, empathised deeply with Kimmel. He revealed that CBS executives informed him of his show’s cancellation while he was on vacation, and his manager, who also represents Kimmel, waited until Colbert returned to break the news to him. Colbert admitted he struggled to tell his audience, fumbling his lines multiple times during taping. He recalled he was nervous and when he finally said it, nobody in the audience laughed.
Although Paramount (CBS’s parent company) claimed Colbert’s cancellation was purely a business decision, critics and fellow hosts suspect that political motivations may have been involved. Both Kimmel and Colbert have been outspoken critics of Donald Trump, and Kimmel noted the former president celebrated both cancellations online.
When Kimmel finally returned to air with Jimmy Kimmel Live! he did so with humour and defiance, telling viewers it was ‘the show the FCC doesn’t want you to see.’ Alongside Kimmerl, Colbert and Seth Meyers, also joined the broadcast, and the trio posed for a photo captioned, “Hi Donald!” In classic Kimmel fashion, he joked, he was so honoured to be here with his ‘fellow no-talent, late-night loser’.
What are your thoughts about Jimmy Kimmel’s revelation?
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