Jimmy Kimmel will risk poking the bear that is Donald Trump, with a televised Christmas speech reflecting on a “really great year” for fascism.

Kimmel has been booked by Channel 4 to deliver the UK network’s annual Alternative Christmas Message, which broadcasts on Christmas Day, a little after King Charles III’s address to the nation.

Channel 4 has not released the contents of Kimmel’s speech, but the late-night host is expected to opine on the state of free speech and declare: “From a fascism perspective, this has been a really great year.”

Kimmel will reflect on his own brush with the Trump administration after ABC briefly suspended him over clumsy comments he made following the death of Charlie Kirk. He later apologized for the remarks.

The incident prompted outcry in America and beyond, with many considering Federal Communications Commission boss Brendan Carr’s threats to punish ABC as an attempt to silence Trump’s critics.

A Channel 4 insider said Kimmel’s speech will be tonally warm, but with an underlying serious message.

A spokesperson said: “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.”

First screened in 1993, Channel 4’s Alternative Christmas Message has served as an alternative to the monarch’s annual televised address, bringing viewers a thought-provoking and personal reflection on the events of the past year.

Those who have delivered the speech previously include Stephen Fry, Danny Dyer, and a deepfake of Queen Elizabeth II.