Howard Stern isn’t buying that Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel are actually friends.
Kimmel was a guest on The Howard Stern Show, where Stern confronted him after seeing the two late-night hosts interact.
“I’m gonna be honest,” Stern said. “We went away this summer, and you were kind enough to invite me. And I went there with Jimmy Fallon. It’s this whole thing, ‘Oh, the two Jimmys love each other.’ I wish you would just come clean,” he continued, putting Kimmel in the hot seat. “You don’t enjoy being around Jimmy Fallon. And watching it is too f---ing funny.”
Kimmel, 58, and Fallon, 52, have played on what Stern called their “fake friendship” several times on Kimmel’s show. Fallon is also included as one of late-night’s self-dubbed “Strike Force Five.”
After Stern, 72, insisted it was all for show, Kimmel shot back: “Let me tell you a couple of things. First of all, I don’t know how I defend myself in this, but I’m going to attempt to. First of all, I cannot imagine anyone not having fun hanging around with Jimmy Fallon, because Jimmy Fallon, as you know, is a lot of fun.”
Stern did not disagree.
Kimmel continued, “But secondly, do you think that I have so much free time in my life and so much open space in my life that I would spend—I’m going to dinner with Jimmy Fallon this week, as a matter of fact while I’m here—that I would waste that time maintaining a pretend friendship for no reason whatsoever?”
Stern replied, “It’s not pretend. I think you desperately need to prove that, ‘Oh, we can all get along.’” Kimmel asked, incredulously, “To who? Who am I proving this to?”
“I don’t know, to the world,” Stern said. Kimmel added, “I didn’t even know you’re watching us. Now that I know you’re watching us, I’m gonna be self-conscious of that.”
Kimmel and Fallon became direct competitors when Fallon took over The Tonight Show from Jay Leno in 2013. That year, when asked about their relationship, Kimmel told CBS News, “We’re very friendly. I know people expect us to dislike each other and say bad things about each other, but that will never happen.” He added, “It is nice. We’re like Peaches & Herb. I’m Peaches.”
Fallon, late-night’s most apolitical host, defended Kimmel on air following the host’s suspension from ABC and threats from Trump’s FCC last September. “I do know Jimmy Kimmel, and he’s a decent, funny, and loving guy, and I hope he comes back,” Fallon said at the time.
