Last week, Jimmy Fallon stirred the pot by interviewing Fox News’ resident jester, Greg Gutfeld, on “The Tonight Show.” A move some claimed was akin to “groveling to the MAGA media machine.” Do drop your sandwiches; things are getting spicy in late-night television!
But hold onto your remote, folks—this might just be a Machiavellian stroke of genius.
According to the Nielsen ratings reported by LateNighter, this particular episode welcomed an impressive 1.71 million viewers, marking the highest number for a regular “Tonight Show” episode since December 19, 2023. Yes, you read that right—after a long dry spell, it seems Fallon has managed to attract enough viewers to populate a modest-sized town.
That’s a staggering 57% increase in viewership compared to Fallon’s 2025 average. One might reasonably suspect that Gutfeld was somehow offering free chicken sandwiches at the door.
LateNighter speculated that the dashing “Gutfeld!” host carded his Fox News entourage alongside him, though let’s be real; even the Jonas Brothers couldn’t sing their way out of this one. Interestingly, the audience numbers spiked during Gutfeld’s segment, making it clear that America loves its late-night drama—served with a side of popcorn.
In a dazzling display of conversational acrobatics, Fallon and Gutfeld avoided the thorny field of politics. Who would’ve thought? It’s almost like a cooking show where no one cooks. Viewers had mixed feelings about Fallon giving Gutfeld a platform, considering Gutfeld’s penchant for the kind of humor that could make a racist dad blush and conspiracy theories that play out like bad reality TV.
As one irritated viewer keenly noted, “Fallon is basically a ‘yes man’ with an equally resounding lack of convictions.” Ah, yes, the art of saying “sure, why not?” in the face of moral dilemmas!
In typical Gutfeld fashion, he took to his own show proclaiming that Fallon displayed “guts” for having him on. What a glowing endorsement! Neither “The Tonight Show” nor NBC has commented on this heroic quest into the world of ratings and controversy, likely because they’re too busy counting their shiny, new viewers.
Greg Gutfeld was interviewed by Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show” and drew big ratings. NBC via Getty Images
