Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert made late-night history, trading guest spots in the first-ever crossover between their programs as both comedians navigated uncertainty about the future of their shows.
“We’re doing something unprecedented tonight,” Kimmel said at the top of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” “Tonight, Stephen is a guest on our show. I will simultaneously be a guest on his show. We thought it might be a fun way to drive the president nuts.”
The stunt came during a tumultuous stretch for the hosts. In July, CBS announced “The Late Show” would end in May 2026. Two weeks ago, ABC suspended Kimmel over comments he made on-air about the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
On Kimmel’s stage, Colbert spoke candidly about learning of his show’s cancellation. He said he was told by their shared manager, James “Baby Doll” Dixon, in what became a “15-minute” conversation.
“I come home two and a half hours later,” Colbert recalled. “And I walk into the apartment, and [Evie McGee-Colbert, his wife] goes, ‘What happened? You get canceled?’ I said, ‘Yes, I did.’”
Colbert said he waited until after taping an episode to break the news to his staff, later recording a speech for the studio audience and viewers. “I was so nervous about doing it right because there was nothing on the [tele]prompter,” he said. “The audience thought it was a bit, and they started going, ‘You can do it!’”
Kimmel said he was “absolutely shocked” by CBS’ decision. “It’s their ball and they can take it home if they want,” Colbert responded, prompting Kimmel to quip, “They don’t have any balls, Stephen. Let’s be honest.”
Over on “The Late Show,” Kimmel detailed his own troubles with ABC. He said he was notified just 90 minutes before taping Sept. 17 that the network was pulling his show off the air.
“The only private place to go is the bathroom,” Kimmel said. “The ABC executives say, ‘We want to take the temperature down. We’re concerned about what you’re going to say tonight, and we decided the best route is to take the show off the air.’”
Initially, Kimmel said he believed the suspension meant the permanent end of his show. Later in the conversation, Colbert asked if he imagined the president of the United States would celebrate his misfortune.
“That son of a b***h,” Kimmel replied. “I never even imagined there would ever be a situation in which the president of our country was celebrating hundreds of Americans losing their jobs. That, to me, is the absolute opposite of what a leader of this country is supposed to be.”
This week, Kimmel is broadcasting from the Howard Gilman Opera House at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, a short distance from Colbert’s home base at the Ed Sullivan Theater.
How to watch the Kimmel and Colbert crossover episode
Episodes of both shows are available on ABC and CBS.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. Eastern on ABC and is available to stream the next day on Hulu. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs at 11:35 p.m. Eastern on CBS and streams on Paramount+. Clips from both programs are also available on YouTube and each network’s official websites.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert crossover episode how to watch
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