The latest behind-the-scenes drama at Jimmy Kimmel Live! involves a mysterious intruder, missing snacks, and a suspect with “little hands.”
On a special post-NBA Finals Friday night show, Kimmel revealed that a wild raccoon has been living inside the show’s offices at the El Capitan Entertainment Center, where the ABC late-night show has taped from Hollywood since 2003.
The mystery began Monday, Kimmel said, when the show’s building manager arrived at work to find that “all the chocolate and nuts in his office had been opened and eaten.” Security footage identified the culprit: “a raccoon—a wild raccoon—has been living in our building for at least five days.”
The animal, who has since been dubbed Rollo, was seen on security cameras climbing the back stairwell, lurking near Kimmel’s office, and trying to open cabinets “with his little hands.” According to Kimmel, the missing snacks included walnuts, Fiber Thins, and “a box of my Costco protein bars.”
The show set what Kimmel described as a harmless cage trap baited with peanut butter, and successfully caught Rollo overnight. Temporarily.
“He was so strong from the protein bars, he busted out of the cage like a little raccoon Hulk,” Kimmel said, adding that the raccoon then “went around and messed up a few offices—just to send us a message.”
The staff tried again, this time setting four traps with cat food. Rollo was not impressed, reappearing the next morning in another office.
Kimmel said one security guard even managed to establish a rapport with the intruder, calling him back after he wandered into a storage area. “Maybe people are feeding him or something?” Kimmel wondered.
By that point, Kimmel was openly considering whether the show should simply hire him. “First of all, he’s very cute and smart, and that’s nice to have on staff,” he said. Later, he added, “At this point, we may just give him a job as a security guard. You know? We finally found a security guard more adorable than you, Guillermo!”
“I like him, Jimmy,” Guillermo replied.
At the end of the monologue, the bit escalated with a fake raccoon emerging through the studio doors at the wheel of a remote-control car filled with nuts and circling Kimmel.
The real Rollo, meanwhile, remains unaccounted for. “If you have any information about his whereabouts, please contact the authorities,” Kimmel said. “We want to return him to his family.”
Watch Kimmel recount Rollo’s adventures in the show’s offices in the clip below:
