The struggling world of late night television got a shocking (or not so shocking when you think about it…) ratings boost when Greg Gutfeld, host of Fox News’ Gutfeld! appeared on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show. The appearance skyrocketed the show’s viewership to its highest point of the year, drawing 1.7 million total viewers—a staggering 57% jump from the program’s 2025 average of 1.1 million.
This ratings surge is proof of a growing audience appetite for diverse perspectives in late-night television, where progressive hosts have long dominated with one-sided guest lineups.
Greg Gutfeld on his late night show Gutfeld! – YouTube, Fox News
Gutfeld, the sharp-witted host of Fox News’ Gutfeld!—which consistently ranks as the top late-night show across all networks with an average of over 2 million viewers nightly—joined Fallon for a lighthearted segment that steered clear of heavy politics.
Instead, the duo reminisced about a boozy encounter from years past at an underground speakeasy in Hell’s Kitchen, complete with tales of Fallon tackling Gutfeld and a cigarette-related mishap that had the audience in stitches (a rare phenomenon for Fallon). The episode also featured musical guests the Jonas Brothers, but it was Gutfeld’s presence that appeared to drive the viewership spike, with the interview clip amassing nearly 1 million YouTube views in just days.
This performance marks the strongest regular episode for The Tonight Show since December 2023, according to Nielsen data, and highlights Gutfeld’s crossover appeal. In the key 25-54 demographic prized by advertisers, the show pulled in 294,000 viewers, a 13% increase over the yearly average.
Meanwhile, Gutfeld’s own program continued its dominance that same night, guest-hosted by Kat Timpf and attracting 2.7 million viewers—outpacing all competitors on NBC, CBS, and ABC.
The success comes amid broader struggles for progressive late-night hosts, who have faced declining ratings and criticism for their echo-chamber approach.
Stephen Colbert dances around with human needles – YouTube, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
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A recent study by the Media Research Center (MRC) revealed that in the first half of 2025, 99% of political guests on major late-night comedy shows were liberals or Democrats, with a total of 76 liberals versus just one conservative across programs like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Daily Show, and others.
Colbert’s show led the pack in partisanship, hosting 29 liberal guests and zero conservatives during that period. Extending back to 2022, Colbert has featured 176 liberal guests and only one Republican: former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, who appeared primarily to criticize Donald Trump.
This imbalance has been linked to viewer fatigue and contributed to the recent cancellation of The Late Show, announced in July 2025 after years of one-sided content that turned the program into what critics called a “therapy session for liberals.”
Greg Gutfeld on his late night show Gutfeld! – YouTube, Fox News
Even after the axing, Colbert doubled down, with post-cancellation episodes continuing to skew heavily left. In contrast, Gutfeld’s blend of humor, irreverence, and willingness to challenge norms has propelled Gutfeld! to the throne of late night, regularly trouncing rivals and now even boosting competitors when he guests.
Networks are likely taking note of this phenomenon. Ostracizing half the population with relentless partisan jabs isn’t a winning formula—evidenced by the fact that 81% of political jokes on late-night shows in 2023 targeted conservatives, per an earlier MRC analysis.
Greg Gutfeld appears on Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show on August 7th, 2025
Gutfeld’s Tonight Show triumph proves that audiences crave entertainment over ideology, and his status as the undisputed king of late night is only solidified. If progressive hosts want to reclaim relevance, inviting voices from across the aisle might be the key—before their ratings flatline for good.
Did you watch Greg Gutfeld on The Tonight Show? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
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