Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos were among the notable figures weighing in on Jimmy Kimmel’s triumphant return to ABC on Tuesday night, following the suspension of his eponymous late-night show by parent company Disney on September 17. Despite the fact that Ripa and Consuelos rarely delve into politics or other contentious issues on their syndicated daytime show, "Live! With Kelly and Mark," they took a moment on Wednesday to discuss their friend and Disney colleague's comeback. "Live! With Kelly and Mark" is syndicated by Disney Entertainment and produced by WABC in New York.
Consuelos and Ripa underscored that Kimmel is not just a colleague but a close friend and a frequent guest on their show. Fans of "Live!" are well aware that Kimmel has been a guest multiple times and even served as a guest co-host in the past. “We know him personally, and when I tell you he’s one of the kindest, most generous people I know—he cares deeply about his family, looks after his crew and staff, and everyone around him. He genuinely cares,” Consuelos remarked, with Ripa adding that Kimmel “cares about people.”
Consuelos continued, “And his statements last night, I think, hit the mark perfectly. He understands both sides of the issue and delivered his speech with remarkable humility.” He also emphasized that while he and Ripa “steer clear of political discussions,” the right to free speech remains “incredibly important.”
“One thing we can all agree on as a nation is that the First Amendment is truly vital,” Consuelos said. “We do a light-hearted show here. We avoid politics because we know our fans at home seek an escape from all that, and we wholeheartedly agree—we want that escape too! But it’s crucial to remember that we all cherish our freedom. Because you never know—we might say something outrageous tomorrow and suddenly find ourselves in hot water.”
He added that it wasn’t lost on them that they were “sitting here in the Disney building, our home,” and described Kimmel’s return as “the right move for the company, to bring him back.”
Ripa chimed in, “And I must say, even though we’re a light, frothy show—noncontroversial, like melted ice cream—we constantly find ourselves second-guessing what we’re about to say. We’ve reached a point where no matter what you say, someone will take offense. And I think everyone needs to take a step back and really think. I have the right to speak, and you have the right to say terrible things to me on Instagram. That’s the beauty of living in a free society. That’s crucial.”
Kimmel made his much-anticipated return to ABC on Tuesday night with a new episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," less than a week after ABC pulled his late-night show from the airwaves following controversial remarks Kimmel made on September 15 about the alleged killer of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. On Wednesday night, after responding to President Trump’s tweet about his return to ABC, Kimmel expressed his gratitude to Ripa and Consuelos for sending his staff an ice cream truck, calling the gesture from his “good friends” “honestly very thoughtful and very sweet.”
“But next time, Kelly, if you could give us a heads-up? Because when the truck pulled up, Guillermo [Rodriguez] saw the word ‘ICE’ and dived under a recycling bin,” Kimmel joked. “We’re a little on edge out here, but thank you.”
Kimmel’s suspension came after station owners Nexstar and Sinclair announced they would preempt his show, and FCC head Brendan Carr appeared to threaten ABC affiliate licenses during a podcast appearance last week. The suspension and Carr’s remarks, fueled by President Trump’s assertion that Kimmel was “fired,” sparked widespread backlash, particularly from Hollywood, with numerous stars speaking out in support of Kimmel. Approximately 400 actors, filmmakers, writers, and musicians signed an open letter from the ACLU condemning Kimmel’s suspension as anti-free speech.
Disney announced on Monday that Kimmel’s show would return on Tuesday. However, Nexstar and Sinclair continued to preempt "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on Tuesday night, a decision affecting more than 60 ABC affiliates and reaching about a quarter of TV households across the U.S.
In his return, Kimmel also spoke passionately about the First Amendment, stating, “My right to free speech is something I took for granted until they pulled my friend Stephen [Colbert] off the air and tried to coerce the affiliates who run our show in the cities you live in to take my show off the air. That’s not legal. That’s not American. That is un-American.”
