Is Jimmy Kimmel The Next Internet ‘Zaddy’? Chrissy Teigen Certainly Seems To Think So

Chrissy Teigen and David Change appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2024
(Image credit: Disney/Randy Holmes)

Interviews on late night can run the gamut from run-of-the-mill to surprising. I don’t know how often the late night hosts themselves are legitimately shocked about the things that come out of the mouths of celebrities, but Jimmy Kimmel did seem to think it was an eye-opener when Chrissy Teigen came out of left field to call him a “zaddy.” I can see it though. 

Jimmy Kimmel may be more known for interviewing the Sexiest Man Alive than being the Sexiest Man alive; however, according to Chrissy Teigen, he fits the bill. The host was on the ABC late night series with chef David Chang to talk their new Hulu series Chrissy and Dave Dine Out when the notably blunt TV personality burst out with a revelation: Kimmel, at 56, has now achieved zaddy status. 

We’re so good. I was saying, ‘You’re a zaddy now.’ I was watching you backstage and I just, I find you to be a zaddy. It’s like a hot daddy.

The late night name, who clearly seemed to be unaware of what the heck the term meant, simply looked at Teigen and asked, “Is that good?” Chang gave him another boost of confidence, noting, ‘He’s always been a zaddy to me.’ To which Kimmel could only reply with an, ‘Oh, thank you.’  

After the interview, she confirmed she couldn't help herself with the comment, telling Kimmel, " [I] couldn’t control calling you a zaddy!" You don't even need a Hulu subscription to see the funny moment below. 

There are plenty of other Internet zaddies out there, and many of them can be found on our TV screens. Chief among them is NBC’s own Christopher Meloni, who earned the title after a viral incident that occurred when Law & Order: SVU was filming and Stabler wore some noticeably tight pants. CBS’ Jeff Probst has said he hears he’s a zaddy a lot as well. 

To be honest with you, I’d never really thought about awarding Kimmel with zaddy status until this moment. I’d assume he’d even be willing to admit he’s no Christopher Meloni, but despite the fact the Kimmel episode in question also featured the late night host stuffing pizza -- with smoked mozzarella -- into his mouth, he’s also gotten candid about weight loss and staying in shape in recent years. 

Initially he’d lost about 28 pounds following a restrictive calorie diet, but more recently he’d been a proponent of a 5:2 diet which allows days with more eating and days with less eating. In fact, he told Men’s Journal he’d gotten the idea from a documentary, but that it works for him better than counting calories all the time.

My new thing — something I've been doing for a couple of years now, actually — is starving myself two days a week. People call it the 5:2 diet, but I've been doing it since before it had a name. On Monday and Thursday, I eat fewer than 500 calories a day, then I eat like a pig for the other five days. You "surprise" the body, keep it guessing.

But back to the “is Jimmy Kimmel a zaddy?” question. Now that Teigen’s said it out loud I'm starting to see it. Just a zaddy in a Mr. Rogers sweater.

Jimmy Kimmel and Jon Hamm meet up at a Morning Show event 2023.

(Image credit: (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Apple TV+))

And here's one zaddy just talking to another zaddy. They're so good-looking, it sparked fireworks. 

Jimmy Kimmel Live! welcomes Sexiest Man Alive Patrick Dempsey.

(Image credit: Randy Holmes/Disney)

He's just a zaddy with a funny wife, his own pizza oven in the backyard, and his own late night show on ABC. Your move, Stanley Tucci

Jessica Rawden
Managing Editor

Jessica Rawden is Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. She’s been kicking out news stories since 2007 and joined the full-time staff in 2014. She oversees news content, hiring and training for the site, and her areas of expertise include theme parks, rom-coms, Hallmark (particularly Christmas movie season), reality TV, celebrity interviews and primetime. She loves a good animated movie. Jessica has a Masters in Library Science degree from Indiana University, and used to be found behind a reference desk most definitely not shushing people. She now uses those skills in researching and tracking down information in very different ways.