THE NEW YORK TIMES: Chosen by a British TV station to give an “alternative” to the king’s speech, Jimmy Kimmel said it had been a great year for the U.S. “from a fascism perspective.”
Jimmy Kimmel, the American late night host, appeared on British television screens on Christmas Day to deliver a so-called “alternative Christmas message,” in which he said tyranny was “booming” in the United States.
Mr. Kimmel was asked to give the speech on the public broadcaster Channel 4, which each year chooses a different high-profile and sometimes controversial figure to provide a counterpoint to the monarch’s annual televised address. In a statement, Channel 4 said Mr. Kimmel had “found himself on the front line of America’s battle over free speech.”
Previous speakers have included the Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Edward Snowden, the former U.S. intelligence contractor who disclosed mass surveillance techniques to news organizations.
Mr. Kimmel joked that he knew little of the tradition, adding: “I do know what’s going on over here, though, and I can tell you that, from a fascism perspective, this has been a really great year. Tyranny is booming over here.” » | Lizzie Dearden | Reporting from London | Thurday, December 25, 2025
Listen to Jimmy Kimmel’s excellent, heartfelt message to the United Kingdom here.
