Stephen A. Smith Tells Hannity He’s Interested in Late Night: ‘I Would Love To Be The Heir Apparent To Jimmy Kimmel’
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith told Sean Hannity that he would be interested in doing late-night TV and replacing ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel.
On Wednesday, Stephen A. continued the book tour of his recently published book Straight Shooter, with a digital book signing hosted by Hannity. The Fox News host brought up the time Smith filled in for Kimmel’s Jimmy Kimmel Live and if the ESPN personality wanted to become a late-night TV host.
“I am interested in doing late night,” Smith said. “I would love to be the heir apparent to Jimmy Kimmel. I believe I can do it.”
“I would throw everybody through a loop because my politics would throw people off because I would be fair to everybody,” Smith added. “And I’d listen to everybody. It wouldn’t be one-side. I’m not a one-sided kind of guy. I’m one-sided on issues. I’m not one-sided on ideology. I don’t believe in that.”
Hannity pivoted to how his Fox News colleague Greg Gutfeld and his late-night show Gutfeld! beat Kimmel, CBS’ Steven Colbert, and NBC’s Jimmy Fallon in the ratings because Gutfeld has better humor than the three other late-night hosts.
“I don’t care if you’re watching Colbert or you’re watching Fallon, or you’re watching Kimmel, it’s like a left-wing comedy show, and they’re alienating and pushing away half the country,” Hannity said. “I don’t watch their show ’cause I don’t think it’s funny anymore. They’re so (President) Joe Biden they won’t even show Joe Biden who can’t string two sentences together.”
Stephen A. admitted that he doesn’t watch much late-night TV, but said appealing to only one political side of the country can’t help the ratings.
“Assuming you’re correct in what you’re saying, it should be a problem,” Smith continued. “Because reality of the situation is there’s 350 (million) plus Americans in this country, and at least 170 to 180 million… that like Sean Hannity, okay? We understand that, and whether you like it or not, that’s their reality.”
The First Take host would want an audience of different races and political beliefs.
“That’s why I always tell people when I say something like that I’m a Black man; I’m a proud Black man; I love the Black community. I love my people,” Smith added. “But Black appeal is not what I’m in search of; I’m in search of mass appeal. I want everybody.”
“In order to get everybody, you gotta think about everybody. You gotta think about what they want, you gotta think about what they need, you gotta think about what they like, what they dislike,” Smith said.
Stephen A. never shies away from politics. He once referred to members of congress as “children” when the House of Representatives could not elect a new Speaker of the House.
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