Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld makes late night time his punch line: ‘We’re those now who’re having enjoyable’

Late night time has a brand new tone in 2025, and Greg Gutfeld is the one setting it, one unpredictable quip at a time. Rewriting the principles and bringing his signature acerbic type to “Gutfeld!” on Fox News, his present is drawing in additional than 3 million viewers nightly, making it the most-watched present on the fringe of prime time at 10 p.m. Eastern time / 7 p.m. Pacific time, airing over 90 minutes sooner than such hosts as Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon.

Stacking up gigs, he’s additionally the resident wild card on the community’s hit present “The Five,” and he hosts the brand new actuality sport present “What Did I Miss?” on Fox Nation, which was simply renewed for a second season. Gutfeld isn’t simply leaving his mark on the community; he’s reshaping it.

Before he grew to become polarizing to some, and effectively earlier than his New York Times bestsellers and his night time of reminiscing on Jimmy Fallon’s sofa, Gutfeld was climbing the editorial ranks at magazines like Men’s Health, Stuff and Maxim. His greatest break got here when he landed the very late slot internet hosting his personal Fox News present, “Red Eye,” which would set the stage for his runaway success.

Taking nothing too severe whereas being surrounded by full seriousness, and with “Gutfeld!” pulling in a number of the strongest ratings on TV, he’s proving that irreverence may be its personal type of relevance. His refusal to place so-called untouchables on a pedestal has everybody taking discover, and like him, detest him or don’t know what to consider a grown man obsessive about unicorns, there’s no denying that Gutfeld has turned having a great time right into a full-time job. And he’s simply getting warmed up.

How do you discover out you’re No. 1 within the 10 p.m. timeslot ? Is there a cake and an enormous verify?

It’s extra delivered to you after which occurs over time. I get rankings each single day, so I used to be in a position to watch us win. I suppose I wasn’t that stunned by it; I simply knew that it was going to take time. I assumed, yeah, perhaps in a few years, nevertheless it was in like a matter of months.

For previous–faculty followers of “Red Eye,” “Gutfeld!” feels acquainted, with the blended panel that’s at all times all the way down to have a great time. But now everybody will get extra comfy chairs, which is good too.

I agree. “Gutfeld!” is mainly “Red Eye” however for everyone. Red Eye was working on the idea that you just actually had a choose group of individuals awake at 2 or 3 within the morning. It wasn’t attempting to be a cultlike pleasure; it simply occurred to be that approach. We did need it to be for everybody, although. Now we have now 10 instances the viewers and we’re No. 1, so in my thoughts I’m going, I would like the identical sensibility, however I don’t need to fully confuse the viewers. I notice that my humor on “Red Eye” was intentionally obtuse in some methods, and not likely intentionally. It was simply surreal and weird, and perhaps that received’t fly in prime time or late night time, however like “Red Eye,” our present now’s as attention-grabbing and unpredictable as that present was. And that’s 90% of the battle.

There’s positively an unpredictability theme happening as a result of “The Five” can get considerably fiery at instances, however not for the explanations one would assume.

With “Gutfeld!” and with “The Five,” I actually push the idea of teasing, as a result of after I genuinely like someone, I tease them. When all people is collectively teasing one another, it’s a really enjoyable factor and the viewers are in on it. On “Red Eye,” we have been all mainly roasting one another, and on my present, we’re all making enjoyable of one another, some greater than others. On “The Five,” in fact, I needle Dana [Perino] and Jesse [Watters], they needle me, I’m going after Jessica [Tarlov], she makes enjoyable of us all — we all do it, and I believe that’s actually the key sauce to the success of “The Five,” “Gutfeld!” and why “Red Eye” was so beloved. You felt such as you have been with the folks. It was like a perverted model of “Friends.”

There actually is that this vibe that, it doesn’t matter what will get stated, when the digicam goes off you’re all knocking again a couple of collectively.

Yeah, I believe the bottom line is that nothing you say ought to warrant an apology. Meaning, if I have been to insult you, you’re not going to demand an apology from me. When someone needs an apology for a remark I at all times ask them, “How would that apology sound? I’m sorry that the jokes I made hurt your feelings?” How insulting is that to that particular person you’re apologizing to! I’m sorry I harm your emotions with this insult. It’s just like the folks which are demanding an apology don’t even see how completely insulting it’s that they’re asking for it.

Some folks actually write their very own headlines. I think about yours ramped up after you took “The King of Late Night” joke and ran with it?

I’m attempting to assume the place “the king” got here from, and I assume I’ve to credit score Dave Rubin. I believe Rubin was on throughout the first week of the present and stated one thing like, “You’re going to be the king of late night. You’re going to be No. 1.” I don’t like saying stuff like that as a result of then it’ll simply be thrown again in your face, however he was proper! Then, in fact, I needed to put it on my e-book cowl. I don’t even know the way that every one occurred, however placing it on the quilt of my e-book was simply, like, this audacious and ridiculous factor, having me on the highest like I’m a skyscraper the place King Kong swatted down folks.

Silly is certainly your lane. What do you assume the time period “late night” even means anymore? It was once fairly impartial, and now it’s virtually such as you higher select a aspect earlier than you watch this comedian make their TV debut!

Yeah, it type of grew to become outlined as perhaps an individual who wished to go to mattress indignant with someone who wished to go to mattress completely satisfied. One factor that I at all times need to do will not be ship folks to mattress enraged. Sure, perhaps you’re unhappy that Biden misplaced, however we’re going to have a lot enjoyable, and that is going to be nice! And then Trump wins. This goes to be a lot enjoyable, and that is going to be nice! So, we’re going to have enjoyable, and issues are going to be nice irrespective of who wins or loses. I’m not going to let that influence the time that we have now. I believe doing a late-night present that makes everybody really feel dangerous is a disservice. I don’t perceive that. That’s when you will have folks switching the channel to return to us. They didn’t even know that we existed till then.

What a shakeup that channel flip prompted and, additionally, it’s fairly monumental as a result of the viewers are staying.

You know, for a very long time they couldn’t even point out my identify and it was a private factor for them, however then I believe they realized that every one I did was level out what was lacking. I imply, they gave me the chance by not addressing a lot of the nation, and it was there for the taking. There was actually free cash on the desk, and so I took it, and I confirmed [mainstream media] that they don’t personal the tradition. I believe it’s not nearly late night time; it’s about all of tradition. It’s the flexibility to inform folks, you aren’t the cool children on the desk anymore. You took folks with no consideration, you insulted all people else, and we’re those now who’re having enjoyable.

Seeing you on Fallon additionally appeared like a variety of enjoyable. You may critically really feel your pleasure as you informed him your drunken story of assembly him. You assume he’d ever come on ”Gutfeld!”?

It was enjoyable! It went the way in which I believe we each wished it to go, which was like an old-school TV phase you’d have seen on Carson. Just two folks having a enjoyable dialog. I most likely talked an excessive amount of, however I had to inform that ingesting story as a result of I’ve been telling that story for years, and the one particular person I hadn’t informed that to was Jimmy. So yeah, we have been each completely satisfied about it, and it’s good to see two business folks in no matter “supposed rivalry” who genuinely like one another with out that different bull—. I haven’t requested him to return on, although. Our present is slightly totally different as a result of in case you come on, you’re on for the entire hour. You’re additionally on with different folks so it’s type of a much bigger ask of somebody, however the president did do it so…