Greg Gutfeld Crowned Late Night’s New King as Ratings Dominate Fallon, Colbert & Kimmel

Greg Gutfeld Crowned Late Night’s New King as Ratings Dominate Fallon, Colbert & Kimmel

Fox News host Greg Gutfeld has officially dethroned legacy late-night stars to become television’s most-watched comedy figure – and industry analysts say his anti-establishment approach explains why.

Variety’s explosive new cover story declared the 60-year-old commentator “late night’s new king” after Gutfeld! averaged 2.12 million nightly viewers in 2024 – outperforming ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel (1.6M), NBC’s Jimmy Fallon (1.3M), and CBS’s Stephen Colbert (1.8M). The show also leads among adults aged 25-54 despite airing earlier at 10 PM ET.

The Blueprint Behind the Takeover

  • No A-List Guests Needed: Unlike competitors reliant on Hollywood promotions, Gutfeld relies on recurring co-hosts like libertarian commentator Kat Timpf and former wrestler Tyrus
  • Time Slot Revolution: Airs simultaneously nationwide instead of tape-delayed slots favoring coastal audiences
  • Unfiltered Comedy: Tackles culture war topics mainstream hosts avoid – from transgender sports debates to “woke” corporate policies

“Celebrities have too much to lose to let their guard down on a show like mine,” Gutfeld told Variety. “If I had Ryan Reynolds here discussing trans issues, he’d be calling his publicist mid-segment.”

From Print Castoff to Cable Titan

Gutfeld’s path included getting fired from Stuff magazine in 2003 after hiring dwarves to disrupt an industry conference – a stunt that foreshadowed his anti-woke brand. His 2007-2015 run hosting Fox’s cult hit Red Eye became a testing ground for his combative style.

2024 Ratings Milestones
Gutfeld! + The Five 5M combined viewers
Adults 25-54 demo lead 32% over Colbert
YouTube clips (30-day avg) 18M views

The host credits his success to avoiding “resistance humor” targeting Trump: “Liberals own pop culture – conservatives own conversation.” Media analyst Walter Kirn notes: “By distinguishing himself ideologically, Greg has half the country to himself.”

Controversy & Staying Power

While criticized for inflammatory remarks about Ukraine coverage and Florida’s slavery curriculum, Gutfeld’s loyal audience keeps growing. As traditional networks struggle with cord-cutting, Fox plans to expand his role with a 2025 comedy tour launching March 15 in Indiana.


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