Fact Check: Is Tucker Carlson replacing Jimmy Kimmel on The Late Night Show? $400 million ABC deal debunked

A Facebook post from an account named SpaceX Fanclub, which claimed that ABC replaced Jimmy Kimmel with Tucker Carlson, has gone viral. The post made on July 16, 2024, received several fan reactions, where many believed that Kimmel was getting replaced through a deal worth $400 million.

Neither of the parties has made any such confirmation. Thus, it can safely be concluded that Kimmel wouldn't be replaced. It should further be noted that SpaceX Fanclub, known for posting satirical content, often gets reshared in bulk. The bio of the account reads,

"We post SATIRE, nothing on this page is real."

The Facebook Page that posts satire content, (Image via @SpaceX Fanclub/Facebook)

The post, which was to be satirical and humorous in the first place, received opinions from netizens. As of now, it has garnered about 51,000 likes and 11,000 comments.

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American commentator Tucker Carlson will not replace Jimmy Kimmel as the host of The Late Night Show

Apart from the post, an entire satirical article had also been published by Esspots. The website is also known for publishing such content and is supposed to be considered a joke.

The article claimed that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be shut down, and Tucker would have his show. The article further claimed that the step bringing in Tucker to ABC was to widen the diversity of the channels to attract more audiences.

Satire columnist Alex Robin, who wrote the article for Esspots, further alleged several opinions from the entertainment and political background had chimed in on this new deal involving ABC and Tucker. The writer further alleged that not much information about Tucker's show has been made available as of now. The article claimed Tucker might tend to "mix political commentary with interviews and monologues."

A screenshot of the satire website, (Image via Esspots)

The About Us page of Esspots reads,

"Our team of writers and editors is dedicated to bringing you the latest and greatest in fake news and absurdity, all with a healthy dose of humor and satire..."

They further state,

"Check out our fake news stories about the latest scandals, gaffes, and missteps from our elected officials."

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Rumors of Kimmel leaving ABC Network had spread even at the beginning of the month

Earlier this month, fans were already speculating that Kimmel was possibly "fired" from his talk show by ABC. The speculations arose after he was absent for an extended period on Jimmy Kimmel Live! No confirmation about Jimmy's removal was made by ABC Network. Thus, the speculations were seemingly not true.

It was reported that Kimmel was on a summer break, which led to the extended absence on the talk show. Meanwhile, several celebrities have been chosen to host the show for the time being. In 2020, Kimmel had taken a hiatus, and guest hosts ran the show for a while. Earlier this year, he spoke to the LA Times and said that the ongoing contract was possibly the last one for him. Kimmel added,

"I still have a little more than two years left on my contract, and that seems pretty good. That seems like enough."

Last year, speculations of him leaving the network rose, after he hinted at the major network's frequent firings then, on an episode of his talk show. He even joked about it and compared the firings to that of food joints like Burger King and McDonald's.

Earlier this month, Kimmel also updated about his son's health, after 7-year-old Billy had his third open-heart surgery. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Jimmy Kimmel said,

"Billy’s doing great. He had open-heart surgery; you know he’s got the scars and everything, but he’s just mentally right back where he was which is crazy."

Back in May 2024, Jimmy Kimmel revealed his son was going to have surgery soon, and it seemingly had gone well. In the Entertainment Tonight interview, Kimmel also said that the family had to be a little extra careful with his son in this condition post-surgery. The comedian further expressed gratitude to all those who sent love and wishes for his son's better health.