Don Lemon’s split from CNN and Tucker Carlson’s departure from Fox News sent shockwaves throughout late night TV Monday with Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, James Corden and more taking jabs at the news hosts’ unexpected outings.
Earlier that day, Fox News announced the news network and Carlson “have agreed to part ways.” Shortly after, Lemon said he was fired from his post at CNN’s “CNN This Morning,” which he co-anchored with Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow for about six months.
Jimmy Kimmel poked fun at both Tucker and Lemon on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Monday. “This is like if Ronald McDonald and the Burger King got fired on the same day,” he quipped.
Here’s what late-night comedians had to say about the cable news shakeup.
Kimmel jokes about Tucker Carlson’s next move
“Fox News has severed bowties with Tucker Carlson after all these years they are parting ways, which means he was fired,” Kimmel said as he played a clip from Fox News announcing Carlson’s departure. “What a shock, what an absolutely delightful shock this is.”
In the midst of his segment, Kimmel was interrupted by a mock “News Alert” delivered by his co-host Guillermo Rodriguez teasing that ABC fired the late night comedian. “On a personal note I’d like to say, Jimmy, don’t let the door hit you on your way out … loser,” Rodriguez said.
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Kimmel turned his attention back to Carlson, saying the host is “probably not done poisoning old people’s brains.”
“The question now is where will he do it next?” he quipped. “Will he go to OAN (One America News), will he go to Newsmax? Will he crawl back up Satan’s firey b-hole from once he came?”
The comedian ended his send off to Carlson by sharing a sizzle reel of his Fox News moments, calling him “one of the most despicable” anchors to “ever appear on American television.”
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‘The Daily Show’ guest host Desi Lydic compares Tucker Carlson to Papa John
“Daily Show” guest host Desi Lydic commented on Carlson and Lemon’s departures, referring to them as the “big story rocking the media world.”
“You know that stupid look that’s always on Tucker Carlson’s face? Well, today, he has a good reason for it,” Lydic said.
Lydic said she was “nervous” about Carlson’s next move. “It’s like after Papa John got fired. You just knew he was out there somewhere working on a pizza that gives you even worse diarrhea,” she said referring to the pizza company founder John Schnatter who resigned in 2018 after using a racial slur on a conference call.
Addressing Lemon’s exit, Lydic joked, “CNN just fired Don Lemon after 17 New Year’s Eve blackouts — sorry — years of service,” in reference to the network’s previously relaxed policy on New Year’s Eve drinking.
Like Kimmell, the guest host was interrupted in a skit as she was notified she was being fired and had a box thrown on her desk to pack up her things.
Seth Meyers jokes ‘Does anyone have an opening for a sexist?’
Seth Meyers questioned if Fox News was going “woke” in the wake of Carlson’s departure during his “Closer Look” segment on “Late Night.” “When I heard the news, I went through all the stages of Tucker’s face in one sitting,” Meyers said while mimicking the former Fox News personality.
Meyers played a segment from Fox News as they announced Carlson’s exit, joking it should have been: “Tucker Carlson is not now and has never been employed by this network. We don’t know who that is and we’ve never even heard the name. Tune in tonight at 8 p.m. for our nightly newscast hosted as always by Fox News stalwart White Blonde Lady, Blue Dress.”
The “Late Night” host turned his attention to Lemon, claiming he was ousted for allegedly misogynist behavior, referring to a report from Variety earlier this month. “Does anyone have an opening for a sexist?” he quipped, putting a Fox News logo next to Lemon. “Oh, right.”
A rep for Lemon has called Variety’s report “false” and “reckless.”
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Jimmy Fallon jokes he’s ‘one of the few TV personalities who’s still employed’
Across late night, several hosts, including Jimmy Fallon joked about whether or not they were maintaining their jobs. “Hi, I’m Jimmy Fallon, one of the few TV personalities who’s still employed,” Fallon said at the start of “The Tonight Show.”
“Tucker Carlson, Don Lemon, what the heck is going on out there?” he added.
Fallon joked Lemon’s reaction to parting with CNN was, “Woohoo! Later suckers.”
James Corden says ‘The Late Late Show’ is the ‘only reputable news source’
James Corden — who is on his last week of hosting “The Late Late Show” after eight years — also weighed in. “With ‘Fox & Friends’ like these, who needs enemies?” Corden joked.
The comedian added that Carlson was running out of options after having worked at MSNBC, CNN and Fox News. “Soon he’s just going to be on the Weather Channel, saying that hurricanes are caused by drag queens.”
Corden briefly referenced Lemon’s departure, joking that “soon, the only reputable news source in America will be gone on Thursday. It’s us.”
Contributing: Erin Mansfield, David Jackson, Charles Trepany, Morgan Hines, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jimmy Kimmel, ‘Daily Show,’ more roast Tucker Carlson, Don Lemon