Jimmy Kimmel gave a hitchhiking Bruce Springsteen a lift—at least that’s what Kimmel’s daughter thought.
In an interview with Good Morning America today, Kimmel revealed the origins of Stewart’s surprise appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! last week, and his daughter’s reaction to the bit.
The pre-taped segment featured Kimmel and his wife—co-head writer and executive producer Molly McNearney—driving their kids Jane and Billy to school and picking up a hitchhiking Stewart along the way. The bit was a reference to a JKL segment from six months ago, when Kimmel picked up Olivia Rodrigo, who his kids are huge fans of.
Unsurprisingly, they were less interested in carpooling with Stewart.
“We picked up Olivia Rodrigo, and then Jon called and said, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun if you picked me up and then the kids don’t know who I am?,’” Kimmel told GMA. “Which is exactly what happened.”
Kimmel went on to describe his daughter’s guilt over not knowing who her dad’s friend was during the car ride. “Jane said, ‘I feel so bad I didn’t know who dad’s friend was,’ and then she told us that she thought, after the whole day, that he was Bruce Springsteen.”
While Kimmel found it funny, he noted that Stewart would probably take the mistaken identity as a compliment. “I think he would’ve been flattered,” he said. “Bruce is his favorite, so it could’ve been worse.”
Stewart is indeed a noted Springsteen fan. He even ended his (first) run on The Daily Show with a performance by The Boss.