R1 Stephen Colbert Says He’s “So Proud” of Jimmy Kimmel and His Emotional Monologue About “Free Speech and Unity”
Jimmy Kimmel Live! returned to the air on September 23 after being placed on an indefinite hiatus following the host’s recent remarks about the death of Charlie Kirk.
Stephen Colbert expressed great joy as his fellow late-night host, Jimmy Kimmel, made his return to television after a brief suspension. During the September 24 episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS — a program that ended after 10 seasons in July — the 61-year-old host shared that he was “in a really good mood,” according to a clip posted on Instagram that opened with the words “Free speech prevails.”
“Last night, our friend Jimmy Kimmel returned to television. I’m so proud of him! So proud to know that man,” Colbert told viewers following the return of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on September 23.
“Jimmy spoke beautifully about free speech and unity. He made great jokes, showed deep emotion, and got huge ratings,” Colbert added.
Colbert also joked that the comeback was so successful that Disney had announced it would release a live-action version of Guillermo & Stitch next summer — a playful reference to Kimmel’s sidekick, Guillermo Rodriguez, and the animated film Lilo & Stitch.
The comedian and recent Emmy winner went on to mention the strong performance of Kimmel’s monologue clip on YouTube, in which Kimmel criticized President Donald Trump and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over comments that appeared threatening. At the time, the video was on track to break Kimmel’s personal YouTube record, reaching 12 million views in just 12 hours. It has since surpassed 19 million views.
Colbert continued joking that the video was now only about five billion views behind the viral “El Chombo” clip featuring the green dancing alien from Dame Tu Cosita.
These comments came after Disney announced on Monday, September 22, that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would return to the air on Tuesday, September 23 — just under a week after the show had been placed on an indefinite hiatus on September 17 following Kimmel’s remarks about the death of right-wing political commentator Charlie Kirk.
In a statement released on Monday, Disney, which owns ABC, said: “Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country.”
“It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and therefore insensitive. We have spent the last few days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we decided to bring the show back on Tuesday,” the statement concluded.
Kimmel’s return episode opened with a montage of news clips featuring journalists and commentators discussing the show’s suspension and subsequent return. The video then cut to Kimmel and his sidekick Guillermo wearing silly costumes, acknowledging that they needed to change for the big show.
The 57-year-old host then walked onto the stage to a packed studio audience, which erupted into cheers and gave him a standing ovation. Kimmel thanked his fans before jokingly addressing the suspension, saying, “Anyway, as I was saying before I was interrupted.”
During his monologue, Kimmel thanked everyone who checked in on him during the suspension, as well as his “fellow late-night talk show hosts” for their support, including “my friend” Colbert, who has “found himself in this predicament” before.
After news broke last week that Jimmy Kimmel Live! had been pulled from the schedule, Colbert said during a Q&A before the taping of his September 18 show, according to the New York Post, “I’ll say this for my network — they wouldn’t have done this. No matter what you think, this looks weak. This is blatant censorship.”
“With an autocrat, you cannot give an inch,” Colbert added, according to CNBC. “Jimmy, I stand with you and your staff 100 percent.”
