Likely to Donald Trump’s chagrin, Jimmy Kimmel is here to stay.
Almost three months after ABC sent shockwaves and sparked outrage in the entertainment industry and beyond when they yanked the veteran late night show off of airwaves for his comments on the death of far-right pundit Charlie Kirk, they have not only reversed course, but renewed the comedian’s contract.
Jimmy has signed a one-year extension to take his late-night show through May 2027, and did not hesitate to incorporate the president’s many criticisms about him into his announcement.
In a new post on Instagram, Jimmy, who has been hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live! since January 2003, shared a screenshot of the news, and wrote: “I am pleased to announce another no-talent year!”
Fans and celebrity friends alike were quick to take to the comments section under the post and celebrate the news, with fellow late night host Andy Cohen simply writing: “Outstanding.”
Others followed suit with: “Thank God! Losing [Stephen] Colbert is killing us. At least we still have you and Seth [Meyers],” and: “Oh someone’s going to be big mad, AGAIN,” as well as: “This makes me extremely happy!! Thank you for your service.”
© Disney via Getty ImagesJimmy’s renewal comes just days after Trump took another random jab at him, while hosting what the former called the “once-prestigious” Kennedy Center honors on Sunday night.
Trump, asked on the red carpet how he had prepared to host the event, said that he hadn’t exactly, before shouting out hosting “greats” like Jimmy Carson and Bob Hope, and taking a jab at the “not so greats, like Jimmy Kimmel,” calling him “horrible.”
Jimmy aired a clip of the moment on his show Monday night, joking it was “very hurtful” and that he thought Trump and he “were friends.”
© Getty Images“He is really fixated, I am starting to think he might have a crush on me,” he added, before cutting to a clip of Trump again calling him “horrible,” and even suggesting: “If I can’t beat out Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent, then I don’t think I should be president.”
© FilmMagicPer Gallup, Trump’s job approval rating has fallen five percentage points to 36%, the lowest of his second term, while disapproval has risen to 60%, plus both Republicans’ and independents’ ratings of Trump have worsened significantly since last month.
Meanwhile, Jimmy’s post-suspension show on Tuesday, September 23 became ABC’s second-most watched episode ever, drawing 6.5 million live and same day viewers, and, the YouTube version of the episode, “Jimmy Kimmel is Back!,” currently has 23 million views.
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