Rosie O’Donnell is three nights into a four-night guest-hosting run on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and her return to talk-show hosting is already a ratings success. Monday’s episode drew 1.87 million total viewers, the largest audience for any of the show’s guest hosts this summer, according to preliminary Nielsen Live+Same Day figures reported by LateNighter.
O’Donnell also led the late-night programs tracked by LateNighter among adults ages 18-49, with 218,000 viewers in the demographic. For comparison, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon drew 156,000 in the demo that night. The 1.87 million figure is only an early snapshot and could rise as they account for delayed viewing.
YouTube Success
The interest has carried over to YouTube as O’Donnell’s week has continued. As of Thursday afternoon, her Monday opening monologue had climbed to 2.6 million views, followed by 1.3 million for Tuesday’s and more than 740,000 for Wednesday’s. The latter videos have naturally had less time to accumulate views, but all three have drawn substantial audiences during her four-night stint.
O’Donnell’s booking came with some obvious political interest. When Jimmy Kimmel announced his summer guest hosts, he introduced the longtime Donald Trump antagonist as a “special treat for our commander in chief.” As Consequence previously covered, O’Donnell initially toyed with Trump by largely avoiding his name during Monday’s monologue. By Tuesday, she was thanking “President Oompa Loompa” for making her “re-famous,” adding, “You brought me back, just like you did with fascism and the measles.”
Final Night
O’Donnell wraps her four-night run on Thursday, August 20th, with guests Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman, Shawn Hatosy, and musical guest Sydney James Harcourt. Whatever the final numbers look like, her first episode has already established the summer high-water mark among Kimmel’s guest hosts.
In conclusion, Rosie O’Donnell’s return to talk-show hosting has been a resounding success, with impressive ratings and YouTube views. Her ability to tackle tough topics and poke fun at Donald Trump has resonated with audiences, and her Jimmy Kimmel Live! guest-hosting stint will undoubtedly be remembered as a highlight of the summer television season.
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