Earlier this month, it looked as if late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel had lost his job after his network, ABC, pulled his show over controversial comments he made about the death of Charlie Kirk. But within a week he was back, and his show Jimmy Kimmel Live! gained its highest ratings in more than a decade.
It was Kimmel’s first show back on the air after ABC lifted his suspension as a result of public pressure. Kimmel had prompted outrage including from the US president, Donald Trump, and his Maga supporters after he accused what he called “the Maga gang” of attempting to capitalise on Kirk’s murder.
ABC’s decision to pull Kimmel off the air gained global attention. Trump celebrated on his TruthSocial platform, citing what he said were Kimmel’s poor ratings and lack of talent. But Kimmel’s fans – and supporters of free speech in the US and beyond – cancelled their subscriptions to Disney, ABC’s owner.
