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John Oliver Reveals Why He’s Hoping to Lose at Emmy Awards

The Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Series is up for grabs for the first time in years.

John Oliver is rooting for an Emmy loss.

Instead of himself, he’s hoping either Stephen Colbert or Jimmy Kimmel will take home the award for Outstanding Variety Series. Nominees for the category are Oliver’s Last Week Tonight, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Daily Show, and Saturday Night Live.

“I would really love for Colbert and Kimmel to win tonight,” Oliver said during a red carpet interview before the awards ceremony. ”Kimmel’s had a very, very difficult year in many different ways and has done an incredible job navigating it, so I would love Jimmy Kimmel to win tonight. Stephen, obviously, it would be great to see. So in our category, that’s what I would love to see.”

Both Kimmel and Colbert have contended with dramatic MAGA blowback. CBS announced The Late Show’s cancellation in July 2025 following pressure from the Trump administration. The show, which Colbert had led since 2015, ended in May.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! has faced a barrage of roadblocks from the Trump administration and the FCC. On September 17, 2025, ABC pulled Kimmel off the air “indefinitely” after the host made a joke about MAGA’s reaction to Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Kimmel’s suspension lasted five days, and the show returned on September 23 after major backlash.

Colbert endorsed Kimmel for the Emmy win on August 26 in an Instagram video and will appear as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Tuesday. Oliver and Stewart have both spoken out against MAGA’s targeting of their peers on air.

The Late Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and Last Week Tonight are also the nominees for Outstanding Writing For A Variety Series.

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Dana Herrnstadt Editorial Intern, Obsessed

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