Entertainment
Jimmy Kimmel almost quit his talk show after network wanted to pull Trump jokes-Ruth Lawes-Entertainment – Metro
Jimmy said he ‘couldn’t live with myself’ if he didn’t grill Trump.
Jimmy relished ribbing Trump (Picture: Getty)
Jimmy Kimmel has said he had a moment where he contemplated quitting Jimmy Kimmel Live! after ABC executives expressed concern over his Donald Trump jokes.
The 54-year-old has hosted the long-running show in which he quizzes A-list celebrities, including US president Joe Biden, and performs skits for nearly two decades.
Notable hilarious segments in the show include Mean Tweets where stars read out the most savage comments about them written on the internet and respond, as well as the YouTube challenge, where viewers are asked to film themselves pranking a family member.
The veteran broadcaster normally opens the late-night show with a gag-filled monologue and while former The Apprentice host Donald Trump was president, he was the butt of many of Jimmy’s jokes.
Appearing on an episode of podcast Naked Lunch, Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal asked Jimmy if ABC had ever told him to stop ribbing the disgraced former US leader.
Jimmy revealed that eight years ago they’d had a conversation about his Trump routines as they were apprehensive over them.
He continued: ‘I said listen, I get it, you’re right. I have lost half of my fanbase, maybe more. Ten years ago, among Republicans I was the most popular talk show. At least according to the research they did.
Jimmy has hosted the show for nearly two decades (Picture: Getty Images)
Jimmy said: ‘I said, “If that’s what you want to do I don’t begrudge you for it, but I’m not going to do that. If you want someone else to host the show, that’s fine with me. I’m just not going to do it like that.”
‘I was serious. I couldn’t live with myself [if I didn’t joke about Trump].’
Jimmy routinely made jokes about Trump (Picture: Getty)
Jimmy also said he was desperate to be ‘on air when Donald Trump goes to jail’ after his show was renewed for another three seasons.
He explained: ‘I still believe, even after living through the OJ [Simpson] trial, that justice triumphs in America and I know there are a billion different examples to the contrary.
‘How can you commit this many crimes and be this unethical and be this terrible and get away with it?’
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Recent stars to have appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live include Lews Hamilton, who confessed to driving like Mr Bean, and Gwyneth Paltrow , who revealed she’d once TP’d Arnold Schwarzenegger’s house.
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