And on Thursday, the late night comedian thanked one person in particular for the accolade: President Donald Trump.
“I just want to say … none of this would ever have happened without the support of loyal viewers like President Trump, who has done so much this year to raise awareness of our show,” Kimmel joked.
“Thank you, Mr. President for making me No. 3 in the world,” he added.
Trump has for years lashed out over Kimmel’s stinging gags about him, calling the TV personality a “bum” and demanding he be removed from the airwaves.
Matters came to a head in September when Kimmel was temporarily suspended by ABC after his remarks following the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk were seized on by conservatives. Trump cheered the news, but Kimmel soon returned to the air amid growing backlash to the nixing of his show.