Greg Gutfeld just proved that late-night magic can happen when worlds collide. The Fox News Channel star made his first-ever appearance on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last Thursday and the ratings were nothing short of massive.
A record-breaking night in Studio 6B
Gutfeld’s crossover appearance pulled in 1.7 million viewers, marking The Tonight Show’s highest-rated episode of 2025. That’s a 57% jump from its year-to-date average of 1.1 million, according to Nielsen Media Research.
The boost didn’t stop there. Among viewers aged 25–54, the demographic most coveted by advertisers, the show drew 294,000, a 13% increase from its 2025 average.
And online, the momentum kept building. The YouTube clip of Gutfeld’s segment hit nearly 1 million views by Tuesday afternoon, the most-watched interview on Fallon’s channel in almost a month.
The Jonas Brothers also shared the episode’s guest list, but it was clear Gutfeld’s appearance had late-night fans (and curious channel surfers) tuning in.
From Hell’s Kitchen to late-night laughs
After greeting Fallon with a warm hug, Gutfeld dropped a surprise, the two had actually met before.
“This is hilarious — we’ve met before,” Fallon began.
“Yes, you have no memory of it,” Gutfeld replied, “because we were wasted.”
Gutfeld went on to describe their first encounter about 15 years ago at an “illegal speakeasy” in Hell’s Kitchen, owned by their mutual friend Tracy. The place, he joked, looked “like a place where special ops forces waterboard terrorists.”
That night, Fallon famously tackled Gutfeld, tossed his cigarette, warned him about smoking… then bought him a new pack to make up for it. “I go, ‘That was really sweet. You want me to die,’” Gutfeld laughed.
Fallon grinned: “I’m sorry I tackled you.”
“It was all very good-natured, and it was a great memory,” Gutfeld said. “I’m so glad I finally got to tell you!”
Late-night dominance back at Fox
During the interview, Gutfeld also promoted his FOX Nation game show What Did I Miss?, where contestants who’ve been isolated for months try to pick real news from fake news.
Meanwhile, over on Fox News Channel, Gutfeld! didn’t miss a beat. It was guest-hosted by Kat Timpf that night, it drew 2.7 million viewers, making it the most-watched late-night program across all networks.
With Gutfeld! continuing to top NBC, CBS, and ABC in the ratings, and The Five, his other daily gig, finishing July as America’s most-watched cable news program, it’s safe to say Greg Gutfeld is pulling double duty as the king of late night.
