Jimmy Kimmel Live to return to screens after suspension over Charlie Kirk comments

Jimmy Kimmel Live is set to return to US screens following a brief suspension. The show was taken off air after comments Jimmy made about Charlie Kirk's death on his show.

ABC parent The Walt Disney Company said in a statement: "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 thus insensitive. We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday."

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The controversy all began following the death of activist Charlie. The public speaker was shot dead at a debate in Utah last week at the age of 31, with Kimmel making a comment about the incident on his show. Jimmy took to the ABC programme to call out what he said he thought was hypocrisy in how Republicans have responded to the death of Kirk. But his actions were met with a heavy hand by bosses at the organisation who pulled his show from air.

The move had prompted protests and pushback from fans, who gathered outside ABC's headquarters in LA and jobs were also put at risk. Immediately after the news broke, fans flooded social media to share their delight that the show would be back on screen very soon. One fan wrote: "Finally! Great to see Jimmy Kimmel back on air — late-night TV just isn’t the same without him!" whilst another said: "Welcome Back Jimmy Kimmel!!"

A third said: "JIMMY KIMMEL IS BACK! I can't wait to hear his what he has to say tomorrow night," whilst another said: "#JimmyKimmel reinstated but he should think about the future of his show and getting something that he controls so this can’t be done to him ever again"

The decision to temporarily take the show off air was supported by US President Donald Trump, after the TV star had likened his public appearances following the tragedy to how a 'child would mourn a goldfish'. And just days later, during a state visit to the UK, Trump addressed the sudden axing.

He said: "Well, Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings, more than anything else. And he said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk."

Going deeper into the attack on the comedian before addressing the controversy of the comments made about Kirk, Trump added: “And Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person. He had very bad ratings, and they should have fired him a long time ago. So, you know, you could call that free speech or not. He was fired for lack of talent.”

Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar's broadcasting division, said at the time that the network "strongly objects" to Kimmel's comments. And it's a decision US president Donald Trump is fully on board with. The POTUS took to Truth Social to say "congratulations to ABC" and "Kimmel has ZERO talent". But his views weren't matched by all, with other big-name stars hitting out at the axing.

"This isn't right," Hollywood actor Ben Stiller wrote on social media. Meanwhile, Freakier Friday star Jamie Lee Curtis reposted a photo of Kimmel to her Instagram story, along with a quote from his interview back in April 2025: "I don't think anybody should be cancelled. I really don't."

Happy Days' Henry Winkler took to X to praise Kimmel, writing: "@jimmykimmel his humor, his insights are important to keep showing us who we are . AND he is a most wonderful fellow."

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