Celebs Who Can't Stand Jimmy Fallon

Jimmy Fallon is a beloved figure in the world of late-night television, known for his infectious enthusiasm and charm. But behind the scenes, a surprising number of celebrities have expressed their disdain for the way he conducts interviews and engages with guests. From awkward moments to perceived insincerity, these experiences have led some notable figures to voice their criticism of Fallon and his hosting style.

Throughout his career, Fallon has managed to create a show that is both entertaining and engaging, but it seems not everyone appreciates his approach. Some guests have even felt overshadowed or belittled during their appearances, leading to a number of awkward exchanges that have been made public. As we dive deeper, we'll explore the reasons behind the negative sentiments towards Fallon and highlight some of the celebrities who have openly shared their opinions.

In a world where late-night hosts often tread a fine line between humor and seriousness, Jimmy Fallon's light-hearted approach has drawn mixed reactions. While many fans adore his playful banter and celebrity games, others find it superficial or disingenuous. Let's take a closer look at the various celebrities who have openly admitted their struggles with the Tonight Show host.

Table of Contents

• The Saturday Night Live Legend Who Can't Stand Jimmy Fallon
• The Current Late-Night Talk Show Host Who Disapproves
• The Former Late-Night Talk Show Host's Disappointment
• The Comedian Who Doesn't Like Weak Questions
• The Body-Shamed Governor's Discontent
• The President Who Got His Hair and Feathers Ruffled
• The British Actor Armed with Helium Balloons
• The Disrespected Australian Rapper
• The Late-Night Talk Show Writer Who Thinks Jimmy Fallon Is a Joke
• The Olympian Who Called Him a 'Wimp'
• He Was Too Prudish for This Comedian
• The Actor Who Just Wanted to Tell Her Story
• The View Co-Host Who Was Disappointed with a Dance Segment
• The Purportedly Unimpressed Talk Show Predecessor

The Saturday Night Live Legend Who Can't Stand Jimmy Fallon

Every major Saturday Night Live cast member has at least one recurring character. Kristen Wiig had Target Lady, Tracy Morgan had Astronaut Jones, and Jimmy Fallon had "Guy Who Ruins Every Sketch He’s In With Uncontrollable Laughter." Okay, that wasn’t really a character — that was just Fallon. His co-stars were evidently just so funny that Fallon couldn’t help breaking character and snickering his way through dozens of sketches.

In 2007, Morgan told Page Six (via The A.V. Club) that he loathed Fallon’s habit, referring to it as the "laughing and all that dumb s*** he used to do." Why did Morgan hate it so much? Because it trained the spotlight of the ensemble show squarely on Fallon. "That’s taking all the attention off of everybody else and putting it on you, like 'Oh, look at me, I’m the cute one.'" Remarkably, one big takeaway from Morgan’s callout of Fallon is the suggestion that Fallon did all that laughing on purpose. How do we know? Morgan said he "told him not to do that s*** in my sketches, and so he never did."

The Current Late-Night Talk Show Host Who Disapproves

Well, okay, there’s another late-night comedy show host who publicly admonished Jimmy Fallon for his lightweight, light-hearted Tonight Show interview with Donald Trump. In September 2016, Samantha Bee used one of her trademark monologues on her TBS show, Full Frontal, to explain why she was so upset with her comedy colleague, as well as his network, NBC, for giving a platform to a candidate who was "playing footsie with fringe groups" and who had been a leading proponent of the notion that former President Barack Obama wasn’t born in the United States. "By ignoring that," Bee said, "NBC tacitly condoned a race-baiting demagogue."

Bee also gave her theories on why Fallon was so willing to have Trump on his show and to make him seem like a good sport for allowing his hair to be fondled. "I guess because ratings matter more than brown people," Bee said. "Trump can be a total sweetheart with someone who has no reason to be terrified of him," she added. "I noticed there were no cutaway shots to [house band] the Roots. I wonder why."

The Former Late-Night Talk Show Host's Disappointment

David Letterman, the king of "Stupid Pet Tricks" and "Top 10 Lists," told Vulture in 2017 that he found fault with Fallon’s relatively apolitical stance. As the political climate in the U.S. became more contentious before, during, and after the 2016 presidential election, hosts like Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel ramped up their political and satirical content. But not Fallon, who told Sunday Today that political comedy is "just not what I do."

True to form, after then-candidate Donald Trump visited The Tonight Show in 2016, Fallon received widespread criticism for not asking Trump many pointed or probing questions. The most notable moment of the interview came when Fallon playfully ruffled the future president’s famous hair. In response, Letterman wasn’t mad with Fallon, just disappointed. "I think you have an obligation [to ask serious questions]," Letterman said of the Tonight Show host. "Jimmy got a fantastic viral clip out of that."

The Comedian Who Doesn't Like Weak Questions

Jimmy Fallon’s job is to entertain and elicit chuckles out of Tonight Show viewers, and he does it with pop culture jokes, celebrity games, and impressions, which are all decidedly "lighter" comedy fare. Louis C.K., on the other hand, is a much more "serious" comedian, delivering self-deprecating routines and jokes about the bleakness of the world.

Their opposing styles clashed awkwardly when C.K. guested on a 2017 episode of The Tonight Show. "I love napping. I’ll probably take a couple more before I got to bed," C.K joked, adding, "I’ll take an 11:30 p.m. nap, and go to bed at midnight." Being a good host, Fallon replied with a follow-up question: "You like it better than sleep? Sleep is like the ultimate nap." C.K.’s face immediately twisted into one of repulsion and surprise, perceiving Fallon’s response to be incredibly dumb. "That’s stupid you said that," C.K. said. "That’s such a dumb thing to say." Fallon laughed it off, while C.K. remained smirking, and teased Fallon a bit more before they changed topics.

The Body-Shamed Governor's Discontent

Look, it’s a lot of work to turn out an hour-long show five days a week. This is to say that not every moment of airtime can pack innovative, forward-thinking, thought-provoking comedy. Sometimes, something puerile and crass will work its way into the mix — like a fat joke. When former New Jersey governor Chris Christie ran for the 2016 Republican nomination for president, comedians made countless jokes about how the man was not exactly Obama-thin.

In September 2015, Christie appeared on The Tonight Show and told a story about how he’d spent the Fourth of July with fellow politicians Marco Rubio and Mitt Romney and their families. Christie mentioned that the whole group took a boat to go grab some ice cream ... which is when Fallon started riffing. He quipped that Christie must have been very excited, and then he pretended to be Christie in that moment, cheering and pumping his fists. (It’s "funny" because he is overweight, and overweight people must love food.)

The President Who Got His Hair and Feathers Ruffled

Jimmy Fallon is far less "political" than some of his competitors, so when then-presidential candidate Donald Trump appeared on The Tonight Show in Sept. 2016, Fallon approached the interview with entertainment in mind. Rather than grill Trump