Stephen Colbert publicly backs Jimmy Kimmel for an Emmy as voting nears its close, despite Colbert’s own late-night program competing in the same newly revamped outstanding variety series category. In a social media video, Colbert urges Emmy voters to “look how cute” Kimmel is, presenting the endorsement as a lighthearted nudge to support the ABC host.
The outlets also note the broader context of their relationship and prior reciprocity. Deadline recalls that Kimmel previously supported Colbert after CBS canceled The Late Show, including a campaign that encouraged voting for Colbert. Colbert then won an Emmy last September for Outstanding Talk Series for his CBS work, a detail Deadline highlights as part of the apparent impact of Kimmel’s earlier endorsement.
While the two reports focus primarily on Colbert’s endorsement, they differ slightly in emphasis: Variety spotlights the humor and timing around the closing vote, whereas Deadline stresses the earlier exchange between the two hosts and the outcome of Colbert’s prior Emmy win.
