In a fiery televised Christmas Day appearance, Jimmy Kimmel delivered a no-holds-barred Alternative Christmas Message on the UK’s Channel 4 - and he didn’t hold back when it came to Donald Trump.
Broadcast just hours after King Charles III’s traditional royal address, the US late-night host’s speech offered a scathing commentary on American politics, censorship, and his own brush with TV suspension, making headlines on both sides of the Atlantic.
The 58-year-old kicked off his message with a jarring claim: "I can tell you that, from a fascism perspective, this has been a really great year." He continued: “Tyranny is booming over here.”
Kimmel says Trump's White House tried to 'shut me up'
Kimmel’s Channel 4 address came just months after his temporary suspension from ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, reportedly triggered by on-air comments following the assassination of Charlie Kirk on September 10.
The move stirred a major debate around freedom of speech in the U.S., especially as Donald Trump publicly applauded the suspension and suggested that some networks should have their licences “taken away.”
“You may have read in your colourful newspapers my country’s President would like to shut me up because I don’t adore him in the way he likes to be adored,” Kimmel said to his UK audience.
“The American government made a threat against me and the company I work for, and all of a sudden we were off the air.”
What followed, he said, was nothing short of a “Christmas miracle” - even though it happened in September.
"People who never watched my show, people who were on record saying they hate my show spoke out, they marched, they did this all to support the right to a free expression of speech and because so many people spoke out, we came back."
Kimmel declared: “Our show came back stronger than ever. We won, the President lost and now I’m back on the air every night givin’ the most powerful politician on earth a right and richly deserved b*****king.”
'King Donny the Eighth' and democracy under fire
Known for his sharp political satire, Kimmel didn’t mince words when it came to describing Trump’s leadership. He mockingly referred to the former president as “King Donny the Eighth,” saying: “We, well some of us, just have a problem with the guy who thinks he is our king.”
He expanded on his frustrations, accusing Trump’s administration of chipping away at the nation’s institutions: “We are figuratively and literally tearing down the structures of our democracy” - citing the free press, science, medicine, and judicial independence.
“We want you to know or, at least I want you to know, that we’re not all like him. We’re not all like that,” he told viewers.
A plea to the UK: 'Give us about three years'
Signing off with a nod to the beloved film Love Actually, he said: “I know from seeing Love Actually that we have a special relationship.” He then pleaded: “Give us about three years,” in reference to the upcoming 2028 U.S. presidential election.
“We are not bright. We’re Americans,” he quipped, before asking the UK not to give up on them.
“I want you to know that we’re not all like him, we’re not all like that. It may not seem like it, but we love you guys.”