Jimmy Kimmel told viewers during his Feb. 2 monologue that he will demand to host the Oscars in 2027 if “Melania” ends up nominated in the best documentary category. The late night host was mocking Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany, who reacted to “Melania’s” stronger-than-expected box office debut by saying the documentary “should be nominated for Oscars. And if she was to go, she would be the best dressed by a long shot.”
“Mark my words right now, if ‘Melania’ gets nominated for an Oscar, I will host that show,” Kimmel mockingly said as the audience cheered. “Whether they ask me to or not. I will insist on it.”
Kimmel, who has hosted the Oscars four times, quipped earlier in the monologue: “‘Melania’ has a score of 7% on Rotten Tomatoes, but on Fox News it’s got a strong 100%.”
On an episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” that aired before “Melania” opened in theaters, Kimmel ripped the movie as a “$75 million bribe” that “Amazon made for her.” The documentary follows the First Lady in the 20 days leading up to Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration. In his latest monologue, Kimmel roasted the movie’s $7 million box office debut by saying “it set a record. It was the biggest opening for a non-musical vanity project/brazen corporate bribe in the last 10 years.”
Kimmel last hosted the Oscars in 2024. Conan O’Brien took over hosting duties last year and will return in March for the 2026 ceremony. Kimmel’s 2024 stint as Oscars host brought his ongoing feud with Donald Trump straight into the ceremony when Kimmel paused the show to read Trump’s pan of the show.
Right before Al Pacino presented best picture, Kimmel took the stage to read aloud Trump‘s social media post that bashed Kimmel as the year’s Oscars host by claiming: “Has there EVER been a WORSE HOST than Jimmy Kimmel at The Oscars. His opening was that of a less than average person trying too hard to be something which he is not, and never can be. Get rid of Kimmel and perhaps replace him with another washed up, but cheap, ABC ‘talent,’ George Slopanopoulos. He would make everybody on stage look bigger, stronger, and more glamorous.”
Kimmel fired back at Trump onstage by saying, “Blah, blah, blah … Okay, now, see if you can guess which former president just posted that on TruthSocial. Anyone? No? Well, thank you, President Trump. Thank you for watching, I’m surprised you’re still — isn’t it past your jail time?”
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Watch Kimmel’s full monologue in the video below.
From Variety US