Greg Gutfeld Interview Delivers Massive Ratings Boost to Jimmy Fallon’s ‘Tonight Show’

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In an unexpected yet not entirely surprising turn of events, the ratings for late-night television, which had been facing challenges, received a significant bump. This surge in viewership occurred when Greg Gutfeld, host of Fox News’ show “Gutfeld!”, made an appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s “The Tonight Show”. As a result, the number of viewers tuning in reached its peak for the year, with a total of 1.7 million – a remarkable 57% increase compared to the average viewership of 1.1 million in 2025.

The significant increase in ratings indicates that viewers are increasingly seeking a variety of viewpoints in late-night TV shows, traditionally dominated by progressive hosts who often feature one-sided guest panels.

In simpler terms, on a particular occasion, the humorous host of Fox News’ late-night show, Gutfeld!, which frequently leads in viewership among all networks with an average audience of more than 2 million people each night, appeared alongside Fallon for a playful discussion that avoided deep political topics.

Instead, the pair shared memories of an intoxicated event from years ago at a secretive bar in Hell’s Kitchen, where a famous fight between Fallon and Gutfeld and a humorous cigarette incident left the audience laughing hysterically (an unusual occurrence for Fallon). The show also included music performances by the Jonas Brothers, but it was Gutfeld’s involvement that seemed to boost ratings, with the interview clip garnering almost a million YouTube views in only a few days.

On The Tonight Show, this particular episode has been its most powerful regular installment since December 2023, as per Nielsen reports, and underscores Gutfeld’s broad audience appeal. In the crucial demographic of viewers aged 25 to 54 valued by advertisers, the show managed to attract 294,000 viewers, a noteworthy 13% rise over the annual average.

Simultaneously, the show hosted by Gutfeld maintained its rule that very evening, with Kat Timpf as the guest host, drawing in 2.7 million viewers. This viewership surpassed all competing programs on NBC, CBS, and ABC.

Success is achieved during wider efforts by late-night progressive hosts, despite encountering falling ratings and criticism due to their perceived one-sided or insular perspectives.

According to a study conducted by the Media Research Center in the first part of 2025, it was found that an overwhelming 99% of political guests on popular late-night comedy shows were either liberals or Democrats. In comparison, only one conservative guest appeared on shows such as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Daily Show, and other similar programs, with a total of 76 liberal guests versus the single conservative.

During that timeframe, Colbert’s show was notably partisan, inviting 29 liberals and no conservatives as guests. From the year 2022 onwards, a total of 176 liberal figures and just one Republican, ex-Representative Liz Cheney from Wyoming, have appeared on his show. Notably, she made an appearance primarily to voice criticisms against Donald Trump.

The unevenness in the show’s content has been associated with viewer exhaustion and played a role in the recent termination of “The Late Show,” which was announced in July 2025 following years of predominantly liberal-leaning content that some critics characterized as a “liberal therapy session.

After the termination, Colbert remained firm with his shows continuing to lean strongly towards the left. Conversely, Gutfeld’s unique combination of humor, defiance, and readiness to question established norms has catapulted “Gutfeld!” into the position of dominant late-night show. Regularly, he outperforms competitors and even helps boost ratings when he appears as a guest on other shows.

It appears networks are observing this trend. However, consistently attacking half of the population with biased political remarks may not lead to success – as shown by the fact that 81% of political humor on late-night shows in 2023 skewed towards mocking conservatives, according to a previous study conducted by MRC.

Gutfeld’s success with The Tonight Show demonstrates that viewers prefer entertainment over political ideology, and his position as the uncontested ruler of late-night television is further strengthened. For progressive hosts aiming to regain significance, engaging voices from different perspectives could be a crucial step-before their ratings experience a permanent decline.

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2025-08-13 18:50