Jimmy Kimmel's recent ratings surge has come to an abrupt halt.
Last month, Disney temporarily suspended ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" following the host's controversial comments regarding Charlie Kirk's alleged assassin, which sparked significant backlash.
After Disney decided to reinstate the show, Kimmel's much-publicized return on September 23 attracted a substantial audience.
However, the initial excitement quickly dissipated. By October 2, "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" had seen its viewership plummet to an average of just 1.9 million, marking a dramatic 71% decline from the comeback episode. The drop was even more pronounced among the key 2554 demographic, with only 265,000 viewers tuning ina sharp 85% decrease from the 1.7 million who watched on September 23.
This marked Kimmel's weakest performance in this demographic since the suspension, as reported by Sean Hannity.
Prior to the controversy, Kimmel's show averaged 1.6 million viewers in 2025. Should this downward trend persist, the program risks reverting to its pre-scandal viewership levels. In contrast, Fox News' "Gutfeld!" emerged victorious on the same evening, drawing in 2.8 million total viewers49% more than Kimmeland surpassing him by 40% in the sought-after demographic, with 370,000 viewers.
Kimmel faced suspension after erroneously implying that Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused in the assassination of Charlie Kirk, was affiliated with the "MAGA gang." Subsequent court documents revealed Robinson's left-wing ideology, directly contradicting Kimmel's assertion.
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