Channel 4 under fire as it plots Alternative Christmas Message marking 'a really great year' for fascism with host Jimmy Kimmel

Seated alongside a cup of tea and a plate of jammy dodgers, Mr Kimmel will use the platform to reflect on what has been a turbulent 12 months, both personally and politically.

The late-night presenter found himself at the centre of a national controversy in September when ABC suspended him indefinitely following remarks he made on Jimmy Kimmel Live! about the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, a close ally of President Donald Trump.

During a monologue after Mr Kirk's death, Mr Kimmel accused the "Maga gang" of attempting to score political points from the tragedy and claimed President Trump was grieving like a "four-year-old mourns a goldfish."

Disney-owned ABC pulled the programme off air, while FCC Chairman Brendan Carr warned the network its broadcasting licence could be at risk.

The suspension lasted approximately five days before the show was reinstated amid widespread backlash, with critics accusing the administration of threatening press freedom.

A Channel 4 spokesperson explained the decision to book Kimmel, stating: "Donald Trump's return to the White House and wide-ranging impact on the world has been the story of 2025 and it would be hard to think of a better person to address it than Jimmy Kimmel, who has found himself on the frontline of America's battle over free speech."

The network described the upcoming address as "deeply personal and characteristically jovial," though insiders indicated it would carry a serious underlying message.

The decision by Channel 4 hasn't exactly gone down well with everyone, and the People's Channel's very own Alex Armstrong was just one vocal critic who expressed his dismay during Alex Armstrong Tonight on Sunday.

"'It's been a good year from a fascism perspective.' That is the message that will be broadcast into your homes on Christmas Day on Channel 4 for their alternative Christmas message," Alex said as he began his monologue.

"And who do you think is delivering this little gem? Well, it's none other than Jimmy Kimmel, the disgraced left-wing comedian was yanked off American airways for spewing vile lies after the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

"Kimmel had the gall to claim the Maga gang was scrambling to paint Kirk's killer as anything but one of their own, desperate to milk the tragedy for political points. Well, the truth, the murderer was a far left, trans activist, not a Maga supporter."

Alex continued: "Kimmel's reckless slander didn't just divide Americans; it misled them. And now, Channel 4, in its infinite wisdom, has invited this peddler of division to lecture British people on Christmas Day. Apparently, he hasn't done enough damage across the pond.

"This raises serious questions about Channel 4's moral compass, or lack thereof. This isn't a free speech martyr we're talking about here, Kimmel wasn't silenced by Trump's threats or some shadowy cabal... His own network pulled the plug on him for peddling egregious falsehoods."

"Yet Channel 4 is rolling out the red carpet for him. Another publicly funded broadcaster proving it's more interested in provocation than principle.

"Well, Kimmel might rant about fascism, but his establishment mind virus will not grasp the real rot. Britain is spiralling into a dystopian nightmare."

Turning his attention to the current state of affairs in the UK, Alex went on: "We've outdone Putin's Russia, with the West's highest number of free speech arrests. Hate marches calling for 'Globalise the Intifada', a blatant call, in my opinion, to terrorism that's already fuelled attacks on Jews across the West.

"Local elections, they're being cancelled under flimsy reorganisation excuses. Jury trials and automatic appeals in magistrates' courts they're on the chopping block too. And the BBC, another taxpayer-funded gem, has been caught doctoring clips of the United States president and skewing Gaza coverage.

"Labour's home office secretly demanded Apple hand over a back door to your encrypted iCloud data. And don't forget the government's blatant deception about the nation's finances. And today, we also found that the Labour Party chair couldn't clearly deny that the Labour Party wouldn't suspend a general election.

Channel 4 have invited Jimmy Kimmel to deliver the “Alternative Christmas message” to Brits on Xmas day.

He’s going to whine about free-speech and fascism. He won’t be referring to our govt, will he? It’ll all be Trump.

C4 deeply out of touch as usual. pic.twitter.com/QFj5tMZ6vL

— Alex Armstrong (@Alexarmstrong) December 22, 2025

"So when Kimmel takes the mic for his alternative Christmas message, he'd better call out the Creeping fascism and authoritarianism choking Britain. But don't hold your breath. I won't be."

Explaining exactly why, Alex concluded: "Channel 4's likely banking on him, sticking to the script and not exposing their complicity. But what did you really expect, eh, from the broadcaster who let the president of Iran, a country run by Islamist extremists, deliver an alternative Christmas message to."

The Alternative Christmas Message has aired annually since 1993, originally conceived as satirical counterprogramming to the monarch's address.

Previous presenters have included an eclectic mix of figures such as civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, whistleblower Edward Snowden, former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, actor Stephen Fry, and comedian Chris McCausland, who spoke about ableism last year after becoming the first blind winner of Strictly Come Dancing.