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Conan O’Brien says there was a pivotal moment that made him realize the drastic changes coming to the talk show industry — and it came with a side of hot sauce.
The legendary comedian and former talk show host recounted his 2024 appearance on Hot Ones — the viral YouTube show hosted by Sean Evans where celebrities are interviewed while eating spicy chicken — in a feature published Monday by The Hollywood Reporter.
After learning that his Hot Ones episode had logged more than 15 million views since its release, O’Brien realised how the industry was changing.
“That was the moment the scales fell from my eyes,” he told THR. “If a guy can do World Series numbers with overhead that looked, to me, to be about $600, and you have every big star lining up to do his show or Chicken Shop Date … that’s when I profoundly understood that late night shows are in trouble.”
O’Brien’s 28-year career in late night TV included hosting Late Night with Conan O’Brien from 1993 to 2009, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien from 2009 to 2010, and Conan from 2010 until he decided to step away from the TBS show in 2021 in favor of a streaming series on HBO Max.
Late night talk shows have undergone massive changes and controversy over the past few years — in part due to the changing media landscape that often highlights influencers and video content over journalists and broadcasting, and also in part due to fears about the government’s interference with free speech on major networks.
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Conan O’Brien has reflected on the state of late night television talk shows in a recent interview ahead of hosting the 2026 Academy Awards (Getty)
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Conan O’Brien said he realized that the TV industry was ‘in trouble’ when he saw the success of YouTube show ‘Hot Ones’ (First We Feast/Hot Ones)
O’Brien continued, “I’m of the mind that yes, these shows are going away and will become something else. But I don’t like when other malign forces intervene, because they’re trying to curry favor. That pisses me off.”
In September, after Disney pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! off air following comments that Kimmel made in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, O’Brien spoke out to defend Kimmel, saying: “The suspension of Jimmy Kimmel and the promise to silence other late night hosts for criticizing the administration should disturb everyone on the right, left, and center. It’s wrong and anyone with a conscience knows it’s wrong.”
The statement came as a rare venture for O’Brien, who has long said he prefers to leave political commentary to other comedians, even criticizing comedians who centered their acts around anti-Trump barbs.
The former Saturday Night Live writer is next scheduled to host the Academy Awards for the second year in a row Sunday after his debut was received well by critics and viewers.