Weekly Ratings: Jelly Roll Keeps Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Top at 11:35

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Jelly Roll’s week behind Jimmy Kimmel’s desk gave Jimmy Kimmel Live! the summer’s biggest single night with a guest host—and kept the show on top at 11:35 p.m. for the week.

According to Nielsen Live+3 data for the week of Aug. 23, Kimmel averaged 2.007 million total viewers and 192,000 adults 18–49, leading the hour in both measures. Those figures were down 7 percent and 19 percent, respectively, from Rosie O’Donnell’s especially strong guest-hosting turn a week earlier.

Jelly Roll’s high point came Tuesday, when JKL drew 2.75 million total viewers, topping O’Donnell’s best night at 2.47 million and giving the show its strongest guest-hosted episode of the summer. Neither approached the 3 million-plus audiences Kimmel himself drew on several nights in June.

The Tuesday spike came as Jelly Roll’s jokes about Donald Trump from the previous night were reverberating through right-wing media. Addressing the reaction, he opened his second night as host with another joke at Trump’s expense before explaining, “I did a couple jokes like that last night, because I’m hosting a damn late-night show. That’s where you talk about the news and you make jokes.”

NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, meanwhile, began the first of two weeks in repeats. Tonight averaged 1.132 million total viewers, down 21 percent week to week, and 136,000 adults 18–49, down 20 percent.

CBS’ all-repeat Byron Allen block moved in the opposite direction. Across its full hour, Comics Unleashed averaged approximately 702,000 total viewers, up 7 percent week to week, and 102,000 adults 18–49, up about 36 percent.

The latter marked a new weekly demo high for Comics Unleashed since it moved into CBS’ 11:35 p.m. slot. CBS still trailed both ABC and NBC across the full hour for the week, but Comics Unleashed scored two nightly demo wins, outranking Kimmel and Tonight on both Monday and Friday.

Allen’s Funny You Should Ask also posted gains despite remaining in repeats, averaging approximately 473,000 total viewers across its hour, up 8 percent, and 67,000 adults 18–49, up about 22 percent.

At 12:37 a.m., ABC’s Nightline averaged 894,000 total viewers, down 3 percent, and 88,000 adults 18–49, down 20 percent across five first-run episodes.

NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers remained in repeats during its extended summer break, averaging 643,000 total viewers, down 12 percent, and 85,000 adults 18–49, down 9 percent.

Earlier in the evening, Fox News’ Gutfeld! averaged 2.469 million total viewers, down 4 percent, and 146,000 adults 18–49, down 16 percent across five first-run episodes.

The Daily Show and Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live did not air, with Comedy Central and Bravo airing alternate programming in their time slots.

Complete ratings charts for the week of Aug. 23, 2026, follow below.

Live+ 3 Ratings — All Viewers (P2+)

Live+ 3 Ratings — In the Demo (P18-49)

Ratings data © The Nielsen Company, used under license.