Jimmy Kimmel Addresses Disney Controversy, Eyes Dana Walden as Future CEO, and Open to Trump Interview
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A candid conversation with the late-night host revealed his perspective on recent events, his admiration for Disney leadership, and a surprising willingness to host controversial figures.
Jimmy Kimmel recently broke his silence on a month of turbulence surrounding his show, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, and offered insights into the future of Disney during an appearance at the Bloomberg Screentime event. While remaining tight-lipped about his own contractual future, Kimmel addressed the fallout from recent commentary and publicly endorsed Disney Entertainment President Dana Walden as a potential successor to Bob Iger.
Disney Leadership & The pause of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
According to the host, he engaged in “really good conversations” with both Iger and Walden following the decision to temporarily pause “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”. “These are people that I’ve known for a long time, and who I like very much, and we all wanted this to work out best,” he stated. He acknowledged the strain the situation placed on Walden, noting, “I ruined Dana’s weekend. It was just non-stop phone calls all weekend.” However, he credited her involvement as crucial to reaching a “very positive” resolution, adding that her guidance helped him “think everything through” and understand differing perspectives.
Walden as Disney’s Next Leader?
Kimmel went further, expressing strong support for Walden to assume the role of disney CEO. While acknowledging the potential awkwardness of publicly weighing in on such a decision, he stated, “It would be very foolish for me to answer that question but I happen to love Dana Walden very much, and I think she’s done a great job.” He also underscored the unfairness of the situation his “bosses at Disney” were placed in, stating, “I don’t think anyone should ever be put in a position like this.”
The Future of Late Night – and His Role in It
Despite his willingness to discuss the broader landscape of Disney’s leadership, kimmel remained evasive when questioned about his own future with the network. He admitted a pattern of predicting his departure only to remain with the show, explaining, “I often answer that question, and then I do the opposite of what I said previously… I’ve learned not to say anything anymore, because it upsets my staff.”
He did, however, reveal that the annual budget for shows like his is approximately $120 million, a figure he believes is excessive.”I don’t think there’s a reason for these shows to go away,” he asserted. “These shows started out because they were a way to get high priced talent for almost free… So, the idea that these shows need to cost $120M is crazy.”
An Open Invitation – Even to Political Opponents
In a surprising turn,Kimmel indicated he would welcome the chance to interview former President Donald Trump.When asked about inviting FCC chair Brendan Carr and/or President Trump onto his show, he replied, “I’d love to have Trump on the show, without a doubt.”
The YouTube Dilemma and Shifting Viewing Habits
Kimmel also addressed the growing popularity of his show’s content on YouTube, acknowledging the financial imbalance between the platform and ABC. “I’m very, very conscious of the fact that ABC pays for the show, and YouTube pays nothing, and YouTube gets to sell it and keep half the money. That’s quite a deal for them,” he observed.While he maintains he hasn’t altered his show’s format to cater to YouTube’s audience, he conceded that its presence has likely contributed to declining linear ratings. “Maybe that’s kind of what has killed late-night TV,” he speculated.”More likely, the fact that we have our led ins are a 10th of what they were when I started.” Despite this, he expressed enthusiasm for the global reach YouTube provides, noting, “I love the idea that people in other countries are watching YouTube.”
