Jimmy Kimmel will return to host his late night show for at least another year despite months of controversy and attacks from the sitting president.
On Monday, December 8, ABC re-signed the television host to a one-year contract extension. His previous multiyear contract was set to expire in May 2026.
The news is likely welcome to Kimmel, 58, whose future at ABC was thrown into question in September after he was briefly removed from the air following comments he made after the shooting death of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said on-air, after mocking president Donald Trump’s response to the shooting by praising his multi-billion dollar White House ballroom.
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Kimmel was then removed after Brendan Carr, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, publicly threatened ABC, Disney and Kimmel in response to the host’s monologue.
After Kimmel’s suspension, Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to praise the decision.
“Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done,” he wrote at the time. “Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible,” Trump also wrote. “That leaves Jimmy [Fallon] and Seth [Meyers], two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!! President DJT.”
After six days off the air, Kimmel returned to his show on September 23, 2025.
“It’s been overwhelming. I’ve heard from a lot of people over the last six days,”Kimmel said upon his return. “I’ve heard from all the people in the last six days. Everyone I have ever known has reached out 10 or 11 times. Characters from my past, the guy who fired me from my first radio job in Seattle — where we are not airing tonight, by the way — his name is Larry.”
He continued, “You supported our show cared enough to do something about it to make your voices heard so that mine could be heard and I will never forget it. It takes courage to speak out against this administration and they did and they deserve credit for it and thanks, For telling their followers that our government cannot control what we do and do not say and TV.”
President Trump promptly weighed in on Kimmel’s return to Late Night, voicing his frustration with the network’s decision.
“I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back,” Trump began a second Truth Social post at the time. “The White House was told by ABC that his show was cancelled! Something happened between then and now because his audience is GONE, and his ‘talent’ was never there. Why would they want someone back who does so poorly, who’s not funny, and who puts the Network in jeopardy by playing 99% positive Democrat GARBAGE.”
Jimmy Kimmel Working With Disney to Bring Back Late-Night Show: Report
The president continued, “He is yet another arm of the DNC and, to the best of my knowledge, that would be a major Illegal Campaign Contribution. I think we’re going to test ABC out on this. Let’s see how we do. Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars. This one sounds even more lucrative. A true bunch of losers! Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad Ratings.”
Kimmel’s return to the air in September brought in a reported 6.26 million viewers, despite the fact that major media groups Sinclair and Nexstar did not air the episode, making it the “highest regularly scheduled episode in over 10 years.” During his six days off the air, Disney+ is said to have lost 1.7 million subscriptions, per Mashable.
