Greek audience member recounts Jimmy Kimmel show’s abrupt cancellation

Show big Jimmy Kimmel delivers his opening monologue astatine the 96th Academy Awards successful Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, US, March 10, 2024. [Mike Blake/Reuters]

A Greek national who was owed to beryllium successful the assemblage of the Jimmy Kimmel Live amusement has recounted however helium and others were asked to permission the studio when the late-night talk amusement was pulled disconnected the air.

Kyriakos Lazaridis, who is visiting Los Angeles, was among those near stunned when Disney’s ABC abruptly suspended the show.

Lazaridis told Skai.gr that helium and different assemblage members had already cleared summons power when staff suddenly announced the cancellation without explanation. “We were each stunned,” helium said. “They conscionable told us, ‘The amusement is canceled and you person to leave.’”

Later, passing by the studio, Lazaridis saw journalists gathered extracurricular and learned the programme had been cut. He expressed vexation astatine what helium viewed arsenic censorship, saying Kimmel had agelong been outspoken connected US television.

“People were furious,” helium said. “Within an hour, crowds appeared with signs and loudspeakers, not conscionable supporting Kimmel but besides being against [US President Donald] Trump.”

Trump connected Thursday celebrated the suspension of Kimmel from the airwaves and said TV broadcasters should suffer their licenses implicit antagonistic sum of his administration, adding substance to a nationalist statement implicit escaped speech.

Kimmel has been embroiled successful the effort by Trump and his supporters to punish critics of assassinated right-wing activistic Charlie Kirk, who was changeable while speaking astatine a Utah university connected September 10. Since then, allies of Trump and Kirk person warned Americans to decently mourn the divisive fig oregon look the consequences.

ABC said Wednesday it was yanking the late-night drama amusement indefinitely pursuing blimpish uproar implicit his Monday monologue that discussed Kirk and mocked the president. Writers, performers, erstwhile US President Barack Obama and others condemned Kimmel’s suspension, calling it capitulation to unconstitutional authorities pressure.

Film and TV writers held a free-speech objection successful New York connected Friday to protestation the suspension and Trump’s efforts to punish broadcasters who speak sick of him oregon Kirk. [Skai, Reuters]