Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel's savage swipe at Prince Harry as Duke skips ceremony

12 March 2024 , 12:57

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Harry was rumoured to be attending the Oscars with Meghan

Jimmy Kimmel's savage swipe at Prince Harry may have been the reason the Duke opted to skip the Oscars at the weekend.

The talk show host presented the Academy Awards for the fourth time on Sunday, and was blasted by viewers who criticised his crude jokes, including one aimed at Best Supporting Actor winner Robert Downey Jr. While plenty of Hollywood A-listers attended the ceremony, it was rumoured Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would also be in attendance, as they try to decide on their next career steps ahead of their Netflix deal expiring next year.

However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were no shows at the glitzy event, and while royal fans were disappointed, the reason they didn’t attend could have been due to Jimmy’s rant against the couple back in 2021. During their explosive tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey that same year, Harry and Meghan made a series of allegations against the Royal Family, as they tried to explain why they had chosen to step down as senior working members of the monarchy in 2020.

Harry and Meghan's interview with Oprah was heavily criticised by Jimmy (Harpo Productions/Joe Pugliese v)

As they made claims of racism and bullying, the couple also spoke about their new life in Montecito, California, and showed Oprah their lavish mansion where they were raising their young family. Many were critical of Harry and Meghan’s explosive interview, including Jimmy, who used his show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, to launch into a vicious rant against the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. “My wife put it on and I was like, ‘Wait, rewind that! What did he say? Prince Charles is an animal!’” he began, as he told the audience that the interview “will surely go down in history as the most shocking gender reveal party of all time.”

Jimmy also caused controversy with his opening monologue at the Oscars (ABC via Getty Images)

He also touched upon the claims Meghan and Harry made as they alleged a senior royal made a comment about the colour of their son Archie’s skin when she was pregnant. “Imagine after centuries of inbreeding all of a sudden these people are concerned about the colour of a baby's skin. And by the way, they should hope that the kid looks more like Meghan than Harry. No offence, but I mean, Harry kind of looks like the guy who played Screech, may he rest in peace,” he cruelly joked.

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The comedian then proceeded to slam the couple for choosing to relocate to America after leaving the Royal Family behind in London, after they claimed the media were racist towards Meghan. “You know things are bad at Buckingham Palace if they came to America to get away from racism,” Jimmy quipped.

Emma Wilson