Jimmy Kimmel’s return to late night draws record ratings after suspension

Jimmy Kimmel's return to late-night television after a near weeklong suspension delivered the show's strongest live audience in a decade, Disney said on Tuesday. About 6.26 million viewers watched Jimmy Kimmel Live! that night, roughly triple the show's season average, even as approximately a quarter of ABC stations did not air the program. Disney also said the audience was amplified on social media, with about 26 million views of Kimmel's emotional 28-minute monologue. Nielsen's initial numbers are not final and are expected to rise as more data is collected, and they do not include streaming viewership.

The Tuesday show marked Kimmel's first since he was pulled from the air last week after comments about the man accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk. ABC and parent company Disney suspended the program after Kimmel described Trump and his allies as "desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them" and suggested they aimed to "score political points from it." The decision followed a threat to act against ABC and Disney by Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, who cited the remarks as a potential breach of broadcast standards. The episode sparked nationwide debates over free speech and the boundaries of political commentary on late-night television.

During Tuesday's show, Kimmel became tearful as he apologized, saying it "was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man." He also pushed back at what he called mob tactics in response to the controversy, and he criticized Trump for publicly calling for the axing of his fellow late-night hosts, arguing that Trump openly rooting for people to lose their jobs was "un-American" and "dangerous." The remarks reflected a broader moment of friction between late-night hosts and political figures, with Kimmel defending the value of satire even amid volatile discourse.

Support for Kimmel's return came from some corners of Hollywood, including actor Ben Stiller, who praised the "brilliant monologue" that followed the suspension. Trump weighed in on the episode via social media, criticizing the reinstatement as unfair. Andrew Kolvet, a Turning Point USA spokesman and former producer for Kirk, wrote that Kimmel should have offered a full apology for suggesting the suspect was a MAGA supporter, calling the move "Not good enough." The dynamic highlighted how a single broadcast can reverberate across entertainment and political lines, especially when a show navigates sensitive topics tied to real-world violence and accountability.

Disney noted that the live-rating spike was accompanied by broad social-media engagement, underscoring the continuing pull of late-night programs in the digital age. Still, the company cautioned that the Nielsen numbers released on Tuesday are preliminary and could be revised as additional data arrives, and they do not capture streaming views. Industry watchers will be watching closely to see whether the temporary boost translates into longer-term audience retention or fades in the coming weeks, particularly as ABC affiliates weigh their schedules and the broader public discourse evolves.

The episode's reception illustrated the delicate balance late-night hosts must strike between sharp political critique and responsible commentary, a balance that has become increasingly scrutinized in a divided media landscape. As Kimmel resumes his nightly routine, viewers and critics will assess whether the show can sustain momentum after a high-profile interruption and amidst ongoing conversations about the role of humor in reporting on tragedy and political controversy. The incident also serves as a reminder of how ratings, social-media reach, and regulatory concerns can intersect in the entertainment world, shaping decisions that extend beyond a single broadcast.