Howard Stern warned ABC executives that “hell to pay” awaited them if anything happened to Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show.
Stern, 71, delivered the message Tuesday night while appearing as a guest on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in what became an on-air defense of the host amid persistent industry rumors. “I want to say something to ABC if they’re watching right now,” Stern told the studio audience, noting he had heard various reports about the show’s future and could not verify what was true. “There is no man more loyal to this company than this guy.”
The SiriusXM host traced Kimmel’s corporate loyalty through years of mandatory attendance at ABC’s annual upfront presentations, the advertising events where networks pitch their programming to sponsors. “Every year, he’d go to what they call the upfronts,” Stern said. “He has done everything for the company. And I hope that they keep that in mind.” Stern then turned the warning explicit, asking the crowd: “Oh my God. I don’t know about you, but if something goes wrong, oh, is ABC going to have hell to pay. Am I correct? Are you with me?”
ABC had already moved to quash cancellation speculation earlier this month when a spokesperson dismissed the outlet report about Kimmel’s contract not being renewed, calling any such stories “speculative.” The network did not immediately respond to a request for comment following Stern’s remarks.
The “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host has operated under heightened scrutiny since September 2025, when his show was briefly pulled from the air following comments he made about the individual who attempted to assassinate conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Kimmel returned within days and has since woven references to that suspension into his monologues, frequently targeting President Donald Trump and FCC chair Brendan Carr.
Upon returning from summer break on Sept. 8, Kimmel marked his 4,000th episode with a direct message to his regulators. “We’re still here,” he said. “There are those who said we would never last this long. There are even those who used the regulatory might of the FCC to unconstitutionally try to make sure we didn’t last this long. But we did it the hard way, Brendan. And we are still here.”
Stern’s intervention drew criticism from Hollywood in Toto founder Christian Toto, who offered a statement characterizing the radio host’s stance as a departure from his earlier persona. “Howard Stern’s reign as king of all media is over in more ways than one,” Toto said. “The man who once stood tall for free speech went silent during the woke culture wars. Now, he’s rushing to a multi-millionaire’s defense, someone whose show is likely costing ABC dearly,” Toto continued by drawing a comparison to CBS’s reported losses on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” suggesting ABC faced similar financial pressure. “The old Stern would have recognized those basic business principles,” he added. “The new version? He’s an ultra-rich liberal supporting a fellow ultra-rich liberal while misleading the public on the issues in play.”
Kimmel’s Tuesday broadcast also featured an interview with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani that highlighted the host’s ongoing fixation on Trump-adjacent political relationships. Kimmel repeatedly pressed the democratic socialist mayor about his dealings with the president, calling Mamdani’s rapport with Trump “unexpected” and at one point asking whether Mamdani had cultivated the connection strategically. “Did you guys hit it off immediately or is it something that you really went into thinking, like, ‘OK, I need to have a relationship with the president of the United States, and I think the best way to do it is to charm him?'” Kimmel asked. “How did you do that and can you help me?”
Mamdani deflected the personal questions, responding “Sorry, brother” and pivoting to policy matters. He explained that his recent communications with Trump centered on Sunnyside Yard, a proposed development to build 12,000 homes over a rail yard that would create what he described as “30,000 jobs, largest housing development since the early 1970s.” When Kimmel joked about whether Trump confused “Sunnyside” with eggs in text exchanges, Mamdani said the messages were “pretty normal” and did not resemble Trump’s Truth Social style. Kimmel then requested a selfie to send to the president, prompting Mamdani’s reply: “I love you, but I love housing more.”
Kimmel is scheduled to continue hosting “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from its Los Angeles studio.