Jimmy Kimmel came back to Jimmy Kimmel Live! this week — and his return drew the show’s biggest audience in ten years.
According to Disney, Tuesday’s episode pulled in 6.26 million viewers, nearly three times the show’s usual audience, even though about a quarter of ABC affiliates didn’t air it. On top of that, more than 26 million people watched Kimmel’s emotional 28-minute monologue online. And those numbers are expected to grow once delayed and streaming viewership gets counted.
For context, the show typically averages about 1.4 million viewers a night during the season.
This was Kimmel’s first time back on air since ABC suspended the show last week. The decision came after his sharp remarks about the man accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk. In that earlier episode, Kimmel accused former President Donald Trump and his allies of twisting the narrative for political gain, even comparing Trump’s response to Kirk’s death to “how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.”
The comments sparked backlash. Hours later, FCC commissioner Brendan Carr threatened to take action against Disney and ABC, and the network suspended Kimmel.
The move fueled heated debates nationwide about free speech.
On Tuesday night, Kimmel returned visibly emotional. He insisted he never meant to make light of Kirk’s death, while blasting Carr for what he called “mob tactics.” He also took aim at Trump, criticizing him for cheering on efforts to silence late-night hosts who make him the butt of their jokes.
“Our leader celebrates people losing their livelihoods because he can’t take a joke,” Kimmel said, calling that “un-American” and “dangerous.”
The comeback was met with a wave of reactions. Celebrities like Ben Stiller praised his monologue, calling it “brilliant.” But not everyone was impressed. Trump himself lashed out on social media, saying, “I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back.”
Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA and a former producer for Kirk, also said Kimmel’s remarks didn’t go far enough. “Not good enough,” he posted on X, arguing that Kimmel owed a full apology. Photo by The White House, Wikimedia commons.