Jimmy Kimmel finally explains his hair-burning Thanksgiving incident

'I wish I could say it was the first time I've done this.'
November 30, 2021 11:06 a.m. EST
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It is safe to say that Jimmy Kimmel’s Thanksgiving was definitely a memorable one. 

Kimmel finally shared what went down moments before he posted that viral Thanksgiving Instagram photo last week. He told the full story of the "mildly frightening" incident Monday night on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Here is a brief recap: on the afternoon of American Thanksgiving, Kimmel shared a candid photo displaying how eventful his turkey dinner really was. For the typically cold winter holiday, Kimmel sure felt the heat -- in fact, he burned off some of his hair in the process. 

“I was lighting my pizza oven,” Kimmel began (yes, this pizza oven) in his opening monologue. "I wish I could say this was the first time I’ve done this. I turned on the gas, I flipped the switch and usually, it lights up itself." 

"Anyway, 40 minutes goes by and the oven is not lit," he continued. "Again, I grabbed a piece of paper, I lit it on fire and -- you think I would learn, but yet I haven't -- and I toss it in the oven and BOOM, it came right back at me."

"It's a good thing I was wearing a hat, or I would be bald tonight," the 54-year-old host joked. He noted that the last time it happened, he got a permanent bald spot on his head. 

"The smell was very bad," he continued. "I think the reason burning hair smells so bad is it's God's way of telling you, 'You are on fire right now.'” At least his family got dinner and a show for the holiday. 

Kimmel continued preparing his holiday feast like nothing happened, even though his hair was on the brink of falling off. He says he proceeded to cook every dish for his family dinner without even checking up on his burns. 

The late-night host does not have the best of luck when cooking dinners for his family. Last Christmas, he cut off the tip of his finger but still managed to continue treating the kids to a dinner made from the heart… with a hint of flesh. Maybe he should just stick to hosting his talk show and avoid cooking at ALL costs. 

Considering his history, the Thanksgiving Instagram post wasn't exactly surprising news. Kimmel gave only the briefest of explanations in the caption, saving most of the story for the Monday monologue. "Happy thanksgiving everyone. try not to burn your hair and eyebrow off lighting the oven!," he said.

The comments under the viral post were almost as funny as the photo itself. Uzo Aduba jokingly commented, “I’m not sure I want to know…👀🙏🏿🤣” while producer DJ Khaled took the opportunity to send his love best wishes to the television host, “Take it easy my brother love and blessings to you and your family, happy holidays.” 

Note to self: do not let Jimmy Kimmel take over the holiday cooking unless you want the smell of burnt hair in your kitchen.

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