Overview

• Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert guest-starred on each other’s shows on Sept. 30, with Kimmel taping from Brooklyn and recounting his suspension on The Late Show.
• Kimmel said ABC informed him of the Sept. 17 pull in a bathroom phone call before taping, described the period as an “emotional roller coaster,” and recalled sending an already seated audience home.
• After Disney/ABC reinstated Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Sept. 23, major affiliate groups Nexstar and Sinclair later resumed carriage, and Kimmel told viewers the show is back on all stations.
• Nielsen figures reported by multiple outlets show Kimmel’s return drew about 6.3 million viewers before falling within days to roughly 2.3 million, near pre-suspension levels.
• Kimmel used recent monologues to defend his intent, criticize FCC Chair Brendan Carr’s pressure on ABC, and rebut Vice President J.D. Vance’s comments as a “fairytale.”