![\"Jimmy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/SEI_266972623-115d-e1758788231871.jpg\")
\n\t\tJimmy Kimmel reflected on struggling to host Jimmy Kimmel Live! in the early days of the show (Picture: ABC via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tJimmy Kimmel reflected on struggling to host Jimmy Kimmel Live! in the early days of the show (Picture: ABC via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Jimmy Kimmel<\/a> has reflected that in the early years of his late night show he \u2018wished it would be cancelled\u2019 because he \u2018didn\u2019t know\u2019 what he was doing and would furiously ring up friends to appear as guests. <\/p>\n The 57-year-old comedian has hosted Jimmy Kimmel Live! since 2003, but has now confessed to struggling in the early years of the show\u2019s run, having landed the role eight years after his first TV appearance. <\/p>\n During an appearance on the Where Everybody Knows Your Name<\/a> podcast<\/a>, recorded days before his show was pulled from ABC<\/a> last month, Jimmy shared: \u2018I didn\u2019t know what I was doing, and I would pray that they cancelled the show sometimes.<\/p>\n \u2018I didn\u2019t want to quit because I didn\u2019t want to disappoint all the many people who worked for me, but I couldn\u2019t \u2026 I was just, I couldn\u2019t do it anymore.\u2019 <\/p>\n He explained: \u2018We didn\u2019t have guests many times. Now keep in mind this show was on, we\u2019d go on the air live at midnight at 12:05 am, and there were times where it was 5:30 in the afternoon and we didn\u2019t have guests for that night\u2019s show. And I would just have to pick up the phone<\/a> and call my friends. And that\u2019s not how you go into a show.\u2019 <\/p>\n Jimmy, who also admitted he never intended to be on TV while working in radio years prior, said his \u2018version of hell\u2019 is being forced to watch his early shows back. <\/p>\n \t\t To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web \u2018It is as painful as anything. It took us a long time to figure it out. Somehow we were fortunate enough to have a long time to figure it out,\u2019 he reflected. <\/p>\n When praised by podcast hosts Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson for his \u2018courage\u2019 in facing US political issues head on in his shows, Jimmy reflected he has \u2018no choice but to talk about it\u2019. <\/p>\n \u2018The way I was brought up, it makes perfect sense. It especially bothers me being brought up Catholic in a positive environment, that Christianity has been co-opted in such a way,\u2019 he said of the state of US politics. <\/p>\n \u2018That I find very upsetting. I think about what Jesus would think of this stuff, and it\u2019s pretty clear he wouldn\u2019t approve of nannies being yanked out of the park and thrust into a van to be returned to their home countries because their paperwork isn\u2019t in order,\u2019 he said in reference to the ICE immigration raids. <\/p>\n \u2018That seems very obvious to me. I think it is to most people. But it\u2019s because such an \u201cus versus them\u201d \u2013 a bit like sports,\u2019 he said, adding: \u2018I hope foolishly it will resonate with those who don\u2019t have their minds completely made up.\u2019 <\/p>\n \t\t The comedian recently returned to work<\/a> after his TV show was suspended<\/a> following controversial remarks that he made about Tyler Robinson, the man accused of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk<\/a>, the right-wing political activist, in September.<\/p>\n The comedian suggested that Robinson was aligned to the Make America<\/a> Great Again movement.<\/p>\n He said in an opening monologue: \u2018We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it. In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.\u2019 <\/p>\n Jimmy was initially suspended<\/a> before the Walt Disney<\/a> Company announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would make a comeback after huge backlash throughout Hollywood<\/a> and beyond. <\/p>\n To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web The company said in a statement: \u2018Last 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 thus insensitive.<\/p>\n \u2018We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.\u2019 <\/p>\n Despite Trump declaring the comedian could \u2018rot in his bad ratings\u2019 in a lengthy, rambling post on Truth Social, while suggesting he was taken off air for \u2018lack of talent\u2019, the real figures could not be more different.<\/p>\n In fact, it has become the most-watched regularly-scheduled episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! ever, drawing in 6.3 million viewers \u2013 beaten only by the 2006 and 2014\u00a0Super Bowl<\/a>\u00a0specials. The average viewership is 1.4m.<\/p>\n On his emotional return to air,<\/a> Jimmy said: \u2018It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man. I don\u2019t think there was anything funny about it.\u2019 <\/p>\n Got a story?<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk<\/a> entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff<\/a> page \u2013 we\u2019d love to hear from you.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"Key](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GettyImages-2239524705.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe TV comedian explained that he would phone up his friends to get guests (Picture: Bloomberg via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tHis show was recently reinstated on air after being taken off for his controversial comments about Charlie Kirk\u2019s accused killer (Picture: Kat Nijmeddin\/Disney via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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