Jimmy Kimmel opened his heart out and how in a new episode of his talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live! The host recalled what a “strange year” he had. He described it as a mixed bag of both good as well as some underwhelming moments.
On his show, Kimmel summed up his 2025 with these words, “This has been a strange year. It’s been a hard year. We’ve had some lows, we’ve had some highs. For me, maybe more than any year of my life.”
An emotional Jimmy Kimmel on Thursday night reflected on the “hard year” gone by, urged viewers in other countries to “bear with us during [America’s] extended psychotic episode.” https://t.co/V3IfHjrxF3
— LateNighter (@latenightercom) December 19, 2025
Jimmy Kimmel thanked his avid fans and audiences for their constant support throughout the tumultuous times. “I just want to say that we appreciate your support, your enthusiasm, and not just for watching. This year, you literally pulled us out of a hole, and we cannot thank you enough personally,” said Jimmy Kimmel.
An emotional Kimmel added during his monologue, “I know there are a lot harder jobs, but this is not an easy job to do, and sometimes it feels like we’re spinning our wheels. You see so many awful and destructive acts, all this damage we inflict on ourselves on purpose, and it can make you feel crazy trying to wrap your head around these things that are so clearly wrong.”
Here’s a brief memory refresher in case one is needed. Jimmy Kimmel Live! was taken off the air briefly in September this year. There was immense pressure from President Donald Trump’s appointee, Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, after Kimmel made a joke post the death of Charlie Kirk.
After the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! ended this year, and the show returned to air, Kimmel fired back at Trump. He referred to the President as a “bully.” “The President of the United States made it very clear he wants to see me and the hundreds of people who work here fired from our jobs. Our leader celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can’t take a joke,” Jimmy Kimmel said.
KIMMEL: “The President of the United States made it very clear he wants to see me and the hundreds of people who work here fired from our jobs. Our leader celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can’t take a joke.” pic.twitter.com/PFXjx3qWU4
— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) September 24, 2025
In their defense, the Trump administration repeatedly claimed that the reason for suspending Jimmy Kimmel’s show temporarily was to remove “hate speech.”
Post the suspension of his show for a bit, Jimmy Kimmel made several jokes at the expense of Donald Trump. He took a swipe at t Trump’s The Great Gatsby-themed party at Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, calling it the “Trumpiest Trump move of all time.”
Among other jokes aimed at Donald Trump, one was about the SNAP funds, the Kennedy Centre ticket sales, and more. In addition to that, Kimmel also joked about Donald and Melania Trump’s marriage. “Since Trump installed himself as chairman of the board, tickets at the Kennedy Center have taken a nosedive. Everything he touches dies. Good news, Melania, you’re gonna live forever,” said Jimmy Kimmel.
In a recent interview, Hollywood star Jennifer Aniston extended support to Jimmy Kimmel, and she said this, referring to the brief suspension of his show, “Unthinkable things are happening.” She added, “It’s very dangerous and very unfortunate. But at the end of the day, we’re the viewers. We subscribe to these networks and streaming services, so it really comes down to the people and their voices. All those subscription cancellations spoke volumes.”
“The goal is quality, not quantity, and time spent with people you really, really care about and want to work with. And I happen to be very lucky that my friends are very talented,” the actress added during the interview.
