Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel will take a two-month break from hosting his eponymous ABC program, tapping comedian and frequent Donald Trump foe Rosie O’Donnell as one of several guest hosts to fill in during his absence.
“I hope you’re paying attention this summer, because I will be taking the next two months off — this time voluntarily,” he said on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Thursday evening, joking about his suspension last year for his comments about reactions to conservator commentator Charlie Kirk’s death.
Guest hosts will start the week of July 6, kicking off with Tiffany Haddish, followed by Anthony Anderson, Ike Barinholtz, Colman Domingo and Jelly Roll, according to an ABC press release.
“And as a special treat for our commander in chief, I asked one of his all-time favorites, Rosie O’Donnell, to be here to keep the hits coming,” Kimmel said. “You’re welcome, and all I ask in return, Mr. President, is that you don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone.”
Last year, “Jimmy Kimmel Live” was pulled from air for nearly a week after his Sept. 15 broadcast, when the host criticized some Republicans for their response to Kirk’s death.
The remarks drew swift condemnation from prominent Republican figures and prompted FCC Chair Brendan Carr to threaten regulatory action. The show’s removal also sparked viewer outrage over free speech and expression, as well as protests outside Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, and ABC headquarters in New York.
Kimmel returned to air on Sept. 23, visibly emotional as he addressed the suspension.
“You understand it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” he said, referring to Kirk. “I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.”
That episode drew more than 6 million total viewers. In his return monologue, Kimmel also offered a defense of free speech.
“This show is not important,” Kimmel said. “What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this.”
