Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel has been greeted with a standing ovation as he thanked those who stood up for his show, upon his return to screens.<\/p>\n
Kimmel was taken off air due to comments about the shooting of right-wing speaker Charlie Kirk.<\/p>\n
The star was met with a standing ovation and a chorus of “Jimmy” from the crowd.<\/p>\n
“I’m not sure who had a weirder 48 hours, me or the CEO of Tylenol,” Kimmel started, before getting earnest and thanking his fanbase.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Thanks to those who supported this show, who cared enough to do something about it, to make your voices heard so that mine could be heard,” he said.<\/p>\n
“I will never forget.<\/p>\n
“And weirdly, maybe most of all, I want to thank the people who don’t support my show and what I believe in but support my right to share those beliefs anyway.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kimmel \u2014 who suggested that the conservative pundit’s alleged killer may have been a MAGA Republican \u2014 caused uproar from Republicans and was “indefinitely” axed as a result last week.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Referencing the statement, Kimmel broke into tears.<\/p>\n
“It was never my intention to make light of a murder of a young man,” he said choking up.<\/p>\n
“I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“I posted a message on Instagram on the day he was killed sending love to his family and asking for compassion and I meant it and I still do.<\/p>\n
“Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what was obviously a deeply-disturbed individual.<\/p>\n
“That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make.”<\/p>\n
Kimmel said he understood now the comments may have appeared “ill-timed” and added if they were reversed there was a \u00a0“good chance I’d felt the same way”.\u00a0<\/p>\n
ABC affiliate Sinclair did not air Kimmel’s show on Tuesday and broadcast news programming instead.<\/p>\n
“Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return,” the company said on Monday local time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fellow affiliate Nexstar followed suite, meaning Kimmel’s return was not available to an estimated one-quarter of US households.<\/p>\n
Trump’s cancellation backfires ‘bigly’\u00a0<\/p>\n
US President Donald Trump, who celebrated Kimmel’s pause, was in disbelief before the airing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“The White House was told by ABC that his Show [sic] was cancelled!” He wrote on Truth Social.<\/p>\n
“I think we’re going to test ABC out on this. Let’s see how we do.”<\/p>\n
Mr Trump mentioned his defamation lawsuit with ABC in which they agreed to give $US15 million ($23 million) to the president’s library after comments made by news anchor George Stephanopoulos.<\/a><\/p>\n “Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars. This one sounds even more lucrative,” he added.<\/p>\n Kimmel told his audience Mr Trump did “his best to cancel me” but that it “backfired bigly”.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Instead, he forced millions to watch this show … He might have to release the Epstein files to distract us from this now,” he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Speaking of parent company Disney who faced boycotts in light of the decision, Kimmel said he was thankful they brought him back when “they really didn’t have to”.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Unfortunately, and i think unjustly, this puts them at risk,” he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0“Our leader celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can’t take a joke.”<\/p>\n Support wide and far\u00a0<\/p>\n Kimmel’s comedian sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez posted in the hours before the show went on-air with a message responding to the backflip: “We are back full of love.”\u00a0<\/p>\n Loading Instagram content<\/p>\n