Cancelled US comedian Jimmy Kimmel to deliver Christmas message to UK

Matthew Weaver

The US comedian whose late-night show was briefly cancelled after pressure from Donald Trump’s government is to urge UK audiences to stand up for free speech.

In a defiant alternative Christmas message on Channel 4, Jimmy Kimmel will liken the first year of Trump’s second administration to the rise of fascism.

Sitting beside a cup of tea and a plate of jammy dodger biscuits, Kimmel will quip: “From a fascism perspective, this has been a really great year.”

He is also expected to warn that press freedoms can be snuffed out quickly, and urge UK viewers to resist attacks on free speech.

Kimmel’s late-night show was suspended indefinitely in September after he accused Trump’s political movement of exploiting the killing of Charlie Kirk. Trump praised the decision by the broadcaster ABC. It came after pressure from the White House on the broadcaster and its owner, Disney.

But the move sparked a backlash from viewers, fellow late-night TV hosts and free-speech campaigners, which led to Kimmel being put back on air days later.

In his alternative Christmas message, Kimmel is expected to pay tribute to those who criticised his suspension. A Channel 4 insider said: “He says the reason that he is back on air is because people spoke out and people protested.”

On his show last week, in a final monologue of the year, Kimmel also praised viewers. He said: “On behalf of all of us at the show, 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.”

He also spoke of the importance of reminding the rest of the world about the internal dissent against the Trump administration. He said: “It’s important that we as Americans let our friends in other countries … know that a lot of us are not OK with what is happening.

“There is still much more good in this country than bad, and we hope that you will bear with us during this extended psychotic episode that we’re in the middle of.”

Kimmel’s alternative Christmas message will be broadcast on Christmas Day at 5.45pm, less than two hours after the king’s Christmas message.

A Channel 4 spokesperson 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.”

Channel 4 has been broadcasting often provocative alternative Christmas speeches for more than 30 years. Speakers have included the former president of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the whistleblower Edward Snowden, the cartoon character Marge Simpson and the late self-styled high priest of camp Quentin Crisp.