Jimmy Kimmel returned to late-night television on Tuesday in style, drawing millions of viewers and showing that controversy can be a ratings booster. After nearly a week off the air following backlash over remarks about the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Kimmel combined humour and sincerity to address the storm he’d stirred.

According to ABC, 6.26 million people tuned in, making it Kimmel’s highest-rated regularly scheduled episode in more than a decade — even though the show didn’t air in roughly 23% of US households. Social media buzz was even stronger: ABC reported nearly 26 million views of his monologue across platforms, including 15.3 million on YouTube and 6.3 million on Instagram by Wednesday afternoon.

Kimmel didn’t shy away from the criticism.

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