Jimmy Kimmel Shares Candid Thoughts About Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Jokes at Oscars

Jimmy Kimmel has revealed what he really thinks about jokes targeting Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce following an awards season peppered with comments that poked fun at the celebrity couple.

The late night star will host the 96th Academy Awards on Sunday, March 10. It will be the Jimmy Kimmel Live! star’s fourth time hosting the Oscars following his previous times tackling the job in 2017, 2018 and 2023.

Days ahead of this year’s Oscars, CNN asked Kimmel whether he will include jokes about certain well-known topics in politics and pop culture. When asked about Swift and Kelce, Kimmel seemed uncertain if it would be worth mentioning the romance between the pop star and the NFL player.

Doing so is “not off-limits, but probably played out,” he said.

Swift and Kelce, who took their relationship public last fall, became a go-to punch line at several awards shows this year. As the 2024 awards season kicked off in early January, Golden Globes host, Jo Koy, was criticized for calling attention to how often NFL broadcasts showed Swift when she attended Kansas City Chiefs games in support of Kelce, who is a tight end for the team. One month later, Trevor Noah later offered a twist on the joke about NFL broadcasts that was better received by fans.

But there are plenty of other topics for Kimmel to choose from for his jokes. He told CNN that he would include “some version” of a joke about Ryan Gosling being nominated for playing Ken in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie while Margot Robbie was not for her portrayal of the titular character. He also confirmed he will mention the strikes that put Hollywood writers and actors on pause for several months last year.

God help you if I know you,” he said. “If you’ve been to my house, you’re in trouble on Oscar night.”

Some of the jokes will be off the cuff, but Kimmel has said that about 95% of the material will be scripted. Though he’s been preparing for weeks, Kimmel’s hosting duties don’t officially start until the ceremony begins at 7 p.m.