Jimmy Kimmel Closes Out 2025 With an Emotional Message of Gratitude, Resilience, and Hope
Television host Jimmy Kimmel ended 2025 on a deeply personal note, fighting back tears during the final episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! as he reflected on what he described as “a hard year” and thanked viewers for carrying the show—and its creators—through difficult moments.
Early in the closing monologue, Kimmel paused, visibly emotional. “I’m crying already, I’m sorry,” he said, before continuing. “This has been a strange year. It’s been a hard year. We’ve had some lows, we’ve had some highs. For me, maybe more than any year of my life.”
The moment marked a rare departure from the sharp humor and satirical edge that typically define late-night television. Instead, Kimmel spoke candidly about vulnerability, connection, and the role that shared laughter and conversation can play during times of uncertainty.
A Year That Tested Limits
Kimmel did not detail every challenge he faced, but his tone suggested a year filled with emotional strain as well as personal reflection. He acknowledged that the experience had been unlike anything he had previously encountered, both professionally and privately. Rather than framing the year as a simple narrative of endurance, he emphasized how support from the audience became a source of stability.
“I just want to say that we appreciate your support, your enthusiasm, and not just for watching,” he said. “This year, you literally pulled us out of a hole, and we cannot thank you enough personally.”
The statement resonated with many viewers who have followed Kimmel’s career for decades, from comedy clubs and radio to one of television’s most prominent late-night stages. It also highlighted a reality often overlooked in entertainment: the performers audiences see nightly are affected by the same pressures and uncertainties shaping the wider world.
The Power of Shared Experience
Beyond personal gratitude, Kimmel reflected on the broader cultural role of late-night television. He spoke about hearing from viewers who said watching his show—and those hosted by colleagues across other networks—helped them feel less isolated.
“When I hear from people who tell me that they watch our show, and the shows that my friends and colleagues do on the other channels, and that it makes them feel less crazy,” Kimmel said, “it makes me feel less crazy too.”
The remark underscored a theme that has become increasingly prominent in recent years: entertainment as a form of emotional grounding. In an era of constant information and heightened tension, familiar voices and routines can provide reassurance, even when they do not offer answers.
Kimmel’s acknowledgment of fellow hosts also pointed to a sense of camaraderie within late-night television—a genre that thrives on competition but, at its core, shares a common purpose of reflection and release.
A Message Beyond the Studio
In one of the most notable moments of the monologue, Kimmel widened his focus beyond the American audience, addressing viewers and observers abroad. He emphasized the importance of making it clear that public sentiment within the United States is far from uniform.
“I also believe it is important that we as Americans let our friends in other countries know,” he said, “that a lot of us are not ok with what is happening.”
Rather than framing the statement as political commentary, Kimmel positioned it as a reminder of complexity—that a nation cannot be reduced to a single mood or moment. He followed with a note of optimism, stressing that compassion and decency continue to outweigh negativity.
“There is still much more good in this country than bad,” he said, adding a hopeful request for patience as the country navigates what he described, with characteristic bluntness, as an “extended psychotic episode.”
The line drew a mix of laughter and applause, a reaction emblematic of Kimmel’s style: humor serving as a bridge to uncomfortable truths.
An Unscripted Closing
The episode concluded without the usual comedic flourish. Instead, the atmosphere remained reflective, almost intimate, as Kimmel allowed the moment to breathe. For a show built on punchlines and celebrity interviews, the quiet sincerity felt intentional—a reminder that even comedy is rooted in humanity.
Television historians often note that late-night hosts become cultural fixtures not merely because they entertain, but because they bear witness to collective experience. Kimmel’s closing remarks fit squarely within that tradition, echoing moments when hosts have paused the jokes to speak directly to viewers as people rather than ratings numbers.
Looking Ahead
As Jimmy Kimmel Live! prepares to return in the new year, the final show of 2025 will likely be remembered less for any particular sketch or guest and more for its honesty. Kimmel did not promise easy solutions or sudden change. Instead, he offered gratitude, solidarity, and a belief in resilience.
For longtime fans, the moment reinforced why Kimmel has remained a fixture of late-night television: not only for his wit, but for his willingness to share uncertainty as openly as success.
In a year marked by highs and lows, his closing message suggested that sometimes the most meaningful contribution a show can make is simply reminding people that they are not alone—and that, even in difficult seasons, connection still matters.
