Jimmy Kimmel is back — and he didn’t waste any time diving into the controversy that put his late-night show on pause. Jimmy Kimmel Live! returned to ABC this week with a taped episode that immediately made waves online, as his opening monologue addressed the backlash following remarks about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk head-on. While the show wasn’t broadcast live, clips quickly spread across YouTube and social media, where fans flocked to see Kimmel’s fiery remarks and weigh in on his return.
Learn more below.
GUILLERMO RODRIGUEZ, JIMMY KIMMEL
Where Can You Stream ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’?
Fans can watch Jimmy Kimmel Live! weeknights on ABC. Full episodes are also available the next day on Hulu, while live TV providers like DirecTV, Fubo, and Hulu + Live TV carry the program in real time. For those who prefer highlights, Kimmel’s monologues and celebrity interviews are regularly uploaded to the official Jimmy Kimmel Live! YouTube channel and shared widely on social media.
How Many People Watched Jimmy Kimmel’s Return Last Night?
Because the return episode was taped rather than live in some markets, standard overnight Nielsen ratings were not immediately reported. Instead, viewership metrics surfaced online: the official monologue video, “Jimmy Kimmel Is Back!”, rapidly accumulated hundreds of thousands of YouTube views within hours and drew thousands of likes and shares across Instagram and X. While those numbers don’t capture the full ABC broadcast audience, they signal heavy digital viewership for his comeback night.
For his first show back, Kimmel welcomed actor Glen Powell as the featured guest, who came on to promote his new Hulu series Chad Powers. The episode also featured Sarah McLachlan as the musical guest, performing a track from her then-new album Better Broken.
GLEN POWELL, JIMMY KIMMEL
What Did Jimmy Kimmel Say In His Monologue?
Kimmel opened the episode by acknowledging the exceptional circumstances of his return, saying, “It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man.”
He added emotionally, “I don’t think there’s anything funny about it. … [It wasn’t] my intention to blame any specific group for the actions what — it was obviously a deeply disturbed individual.”