Jimmy Fallon plans to ‘keep my head down’ and avoid politics on ‘The Tonight Show’

Jimmy Fallon said he wants to avoid politics on 'The Tonight Show,' saying they hit both sides equally and aim to make everyone laugh
PUBLISHED 2 HOURS AGO
Jimmy Fallon said 'The Tonight Show' monologues follow the tradition of Johnny Carson as he focuses on keeping his head down and making jokes funny (Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images/Getty Images)
Jimmy Fallon said 'The Tonight Show' monologues follow the tradition of Johnny Carson as he focuses on keeping his head down and making jokes funny (Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images/Getty Images)

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Jimmy Fallon plans to steer clear of politics on 'The Tonight Show' and in his future projects.

During a recent interview with CNBC’s 'Squawk on the Street,' Fallon said his program has "never really been political" and he intends to keep it that way.

Jimmy Fallon shares rare photo of wife in an Instagram post with family (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
Jimmy Fallon attended The Met Gala in New York City on May 2, 2022 (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)

Jimmy Fallon plans to keep 'The Tonight Show' non-political

The show host has been a staple on NBC for years, but he is now branching into primetime with his new competition series, 'On Brand with Jimmy Fallon.'

On the show, Fallon will act as the CEO of the On Brand agency and will work alongside Bozoma Saint John, who will serve as Chief Marketing Officer.

Speaking with CNBC, he emphasized his desire to avoid political commentary on his 'Tonight Show.'  “We hit both sides equally, and we try to make everybody laugh, and that’s really the way our show works,” he said.

“Our monologues are kind of the same that we’ve been doing since Johnny Carson was hosting ‘The Tonight Show.’ So really, I just keep my head down and make sure the jokes are funny.”

He added: “I have great writers. And we’re just trying to make the best show we possibly can and entertain everybody.” 

Why Jimmy Fallon is cautious about political comments

Jimmy Fallon appears intent on steering clear of politics to avoid any controversy.

The late-night TV world has recently faced political backlash. Jimmy Kimmel, host of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!,' was briefly taken off the air after commenting on the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

ABC, which airs Kimmel’s show, pulled it after major broadcasters Nexstar Media and Sinclair threatened to stop carrying the program. The controversy stemmed from Kimmel’s September 15 monologue, where he said the “MAGA gang” was trying to gain political momentum from Kirk’s death.

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 05: Jimmy Kimmel is seen on June 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by PG/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
Jimmy Kimmel is seen on June 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California (PG/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

Kimmel returned to the air on September 23, with Nexstar and Sinclair resuming broadcasts of the show soon after.

This incident likely explains why Fallon is being especially cautious about discussing politics on his show.



 

Jimmy Fallon launches new reality competition series with Bozoma Saint John

Fallon's new reality series premiered on September 30. Fallon co-hosts the show with 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' star Bozoma Saint John. Together, they team up with marketing executives from Dunkin’, Southwest Airlines, Therabody, and Captain Morgan to discover new advertising talent.

“So, people and I'm not talking to you specifically, Dad, you can now, Dad, use your remote control and go to the guide screen and type in On Brand and record it, Dad, so that you have it for next Tuesday and next Friday,” said Fallon.

He added: “If you have your phone and your apps, you want to go to Peacock, right? You type in On Brand. There it is right there. You go to it.”

He continued: “And then you add, what does it say? 'My Stuff.' You press that. Now that's it. You're loaded. It records it, Dad. It records it for you right there.” 

Saint John described the show as “a business reality competition show. It’s like 'Shark Tank' meets 'The Apprentice' meets 'Project Runway'.” In addition to co-hosting, Saint John provides both marketing guidance and style advice throughout the series.

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