Jimmy Kimmel will present Channel 4’s alternative Christmas message, in the year that his talk show was briefly cancelled after pressure from Donald Trump.
In September, Jimmy Kimmel Live! was pulled from the schedules on ABC after he accused Trump’s MAGA movement of attempting to exploit the murder of Charlie Kirk. The president celebrated the suspension, claiming that it was due to “bad ratings”, and labelled Kimmel as “not a talented person”.
The suspension lasted only six days, however, after widespread criticism of the decision from the entertainment industry, including most of Hollywood’s labour unions, as well as the likes of David Letterman, Olivia Rodrigo and Pedro Pascal.
Now, Channel 4 have confirmed that Kimmel will be the host of their annual alternative Christmas message, which will run at 5:45pm on Christmas Day, less than two hours after the King’s speech.
His message will reportedly see him challenge viewers to stand up for free speech and press freedom. “From a fascism perspective, this has been a really great year,” he will say.
A spokesperson for Channel 4 has said: “Donald Trump’s return to the White House and wide-ranging impact on the world has been the story of 2025 and it would be hard to think of a better person to address it than Jimmy Kimmel, who has found himself on the frontline of America’s battle over free speech.”
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The alternative Christmas message has been running every year on Channel 4 since 1993, with previous speeches coming from the likes of Edward Snowden, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Ali G and Marge Simpson.
On Kimmel’s return to the airwaves in September, he quadrupled his usual ratings, and gave an emotional monologue in which he clarified that he never intended to “make light” of Kirk’s murder.
“I don’t think there’s anything funny about it,” a tearful Kimmel continued. “I posted a message on Instagram on the day he was killed, sending love to his family and asking for compassion, and I meant it. And I still do.
“Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions. It was a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make, but to some, that felt ill-timed or unclear or maybe both, and for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you’re upset.”