See Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon Swap Hosting Gigs in Late-Night April Fools’ Gag

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel Live pulled an April Fools’ prank on their viewers and in-studio audience as the two Jimmys hosted each other’s late-night show Friday.

The surprise gag was two years in the making, Fallon revealed, as the hosts initially had the idea back in April 2020 but it was scuttled due to Covid-19 pandemic.

“It’s really strange being here. I feel like somebody opened a late-night multiverse,” Fallon quipped during his Jimmy Kimmel monologue.

“It’s Freaky Friday tonight,” Kimmel added from Rockefeller Center in New York. During their respective monologues, both hosts dropped in live via video into their respective late-night shows to see how the other is holding up and to discuss the years-in-the-making prank.

On the Tonight Show, Kimmel partook in Fallon routines like “Thank You Notes” and “Box of Lies” in addition to interviewing Hugh Jackman and Bridget Everett, while Fallon welcomed his buddy Justin Timberlake for a series of interviews, including one where Timberlake pretended to be Kimmel rival Matt Damon:

The prank extended to the musical guest portion of the shows, as Red Hot Chili Peppers played both Fallon and Kimmel simultaneously to celebrate the release of their new album Unlimited Love.