Jimmy Kimmel Live! replaced by Celebrity Family Feud after ABC suspends show indefinitely

Jimmy Kimmel Live! was replaced by Celebrity Family Feud on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, after ABC confirmed that the late-night talk show would go on an indefinite hiatus.

The decision followed comments made by host Jimmy Kimmel about the death of conservative political commentator Charlie Kirk. Kirk, 31, was fatally shot on September 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University.

On his September 15 broadcast, Kimmel addressed the incident, saying,

“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA Gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”

ABC later said that Kimmel’s show would be paused, and reruns of Celebrity Family Feud would air instead in the 11:35 p.m. slot on September 17 and 18.

Affiliate stations were told in a memo, and Sinclair and Nexstar,  two of the biggest U.S. broadcasting groups,, also said they would stop showing the program.

The news quickly brought reactions from other media companies, public figures, and celebrities.

ABC confirms hiatus and affiliates take action across schedules for Jimmy Kimmel Live!

ABC issued a statement on September 17, confirming that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be “on indefinite hiatus.”

According to Variety, a memo circulated to more than 150 affiliate stations stated that Celebrity Family Feud would replace the show for the remainder of the week. The memo also noted that “formal guidance from Disney/ABC is forthcoming.”

Sinclair Broadcast Group released its own statement, saying it would not air Kimmel’s show until there were “formal discussions with ABC regarding professionalism and accountability.”

The company also asked Kimmel to apologize directly to the Kirk family and

“make a meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA.”

Nexstar Media, which recently announced a $6.2 billion deal to acquire Tegna, said it “strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel” and confirmed it would also replace the show in its markets.

Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr praised the move, stating that “it is important for broadcasters to push back on Disney programming that they determine falls short of community values.”

Celebrities react to the show’s suspension and future programming

The suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! led to immediate reactions from celebrities and colleagues.

Wanda Sykes, who was scheduled to appear on the September 17 episode, shared a video on Instagram. She remarked,

“He didn’t end the Ukraine war or solve Gaza within his first week. But he did end freedom of speech within his first year. Hey, for those of you who pray, now’s the time to do it. Love you, Jimmy.”

Actor Ben Stiller also responded on X, writing, “This isn’t right.” Other celebrities, including Sophia Bush, Kathy Griffin, and Don Lemon, expressed concern about the decision.

Meanwhile, Sinclair confirmed that it would air a special remembrance program for Charlie Kirk across its ABC affiliates over the weekend.

Nexstar also signaled it would permanently adjust programming if the suspension continued.

ABC has not announced a long-term replacement, and representatives for Kimmel did not respond to requests for comment.

For now, Celebrity Family Feud, hosted by Steve Harvey, has filled the 11:35 p.m. slot, with episodes featuring matchups such as Fat Joe versus Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias and David Foster and Katharine McPhee against Clay Aiken.

Stay tuned for more updates.