Is Jimmy Fallon on the verge of being fired from The Tonight Show?
When Jimmy first took the reins from previous host Jay Leno, he promptly silenced haters with years of surprisingly solid ratings.
But several consecutive seasons of viewership erosion have left the once-popular comic in a precarious position.
Jimmy Fallon hosts “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” at Rockefeller Center on March 1, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
Jimmy’s Downward Spiral
The ratings decline began in 2019. And these days, Jimmy consistently finishes third in his time slot, behind competitors Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel.
The host took another hit in 2023 when multiple staffers accused Jimmy of fostering a toxic work environment.
According to a new report from Radar Online, The Tonight Show has lost 41 percent of its audience in the past five years.
Jimmy Fallon during “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” at Rockefeller Center on February 17, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon)
In response to this decline, NBC has reduced Jimmy from five new episodes a week to four.
And across the industry, the situation is raising questions about late night’s most iconic show.
Will Jimmy Fallon Be Fired From ‘The Tonight Show’?
“When Jimmy took The Tonight Show job ten years ago, he insisted on five tapings a week and promised the decision would pay for itself, and it did for the first few years,” one insider tells Radar.
“But today, the number of advertisers willing to pay tens of thousands of dollars for commercials has definitely shrunk, and even Jimmy admits that.”
Jimmy Fallon attends the People’s Choice Awards 2018 at Barker Hangar on November 11, 2018 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
According to the source, Jimmy’s many celebrity friendships are keeping him afloat at the moment.
“Jimmy does have a knack for getting big guests and coming up with unusual bits. Jimmy also uses his personal connections to music stars to help increase ratings,” says the insider.
“To Jimmy’s credit, The Tonight Show has become Billie Eilish‘s go-to venue to debut new music, and Jimmy still has a lot of favors he can call in from across the music business.”
Jimmy Fallon attends the FYC Event For NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” at The WGA Theater on May 03, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
But will Jimmy’s connections be enough to save his job? The source points out that his contract extends to 2028, so the beleaguered host has time to turn things around.
Jimmy’s Last Chance?
“It’s not exactly a bleak situation yet,” says the source.
“The show’s producer, Lorne Michaels, is one of the most powerful people in television, but it’s going to be an uphill battle to grow the audience with an hour less of original content a week.”
Jimmy has already done some damage control by getting in front of the situation and publicly apologizing to his staff.
Jimmy Fallon attends the FYC Event For NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” at The WGA Theater on May 03, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
“I’m sorry if I embarrassed you,” he said, after the allegations came out. “I never set out to create that type of atmosphere at the show. I think sometimes I’m working with the best of the best, you guys are the top of the game.
“There are things I’ve done in the past that are embarrassing but I never mistreated anybody.
“I want this show to be fun, it should be inclusive for everybody, it should be funny, it should be the best show, the best people.”
The PR crisis certainly didn’t do any wonders Jimmy’s reputation. And while faced tough odds before, this might be the most difficult battle of his career.
Jimmy Fallon Fired From ‘Tonight Show’ Amid Plummeting Ratings? The Rumor … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.