‘Jail time?’: Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel’s off-script Donald Trump swipe

Jimmy Kimmel has gone off script at the Oscars to mock a major political figure’s post asking whether there had ever been a worse host.

Donald Trump was not a name viewers expected to be read out at the 2024 Oscars.

The former US president took to his own social media platform, Truth Social, to slam this year’s Academy Awards host Jimmy Kimmel on Monday.

But that wasn’t the end of it, with Kimmel deciding to go off script and read the “review” live on stage during the ceremony.

The late-night talk show host began his bit by saying the night was not about him but he was told he had an extra minute and wanted to share a review he just received, which he was proud of.

The audience started laughing before Kimmel even mentioned Trump’s words or name.

Jimmy Kimmel hosts the 96th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre. Picture: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Former US President Donald Trump said he was the worst host. Picture: Elijah Nouvelage / AFP

“Has there EVER been a WORSE HOST than Jimmy Kimmel at The Oscars,” Kimmel read Trump’s post.

“His opening was that of a less than average person trying too hard to be something which he is not, and never can be. Get rid of Kimmel and perhaps replace him with another washed up, but cheap, ABC ‘talent,’ George Slopanopoulos. He would make everybody on stage look bigger, stronger, and more glamorous …

“Blah blah blah … Make America Great Again,” Kimmel concluded, only reading the post in part that went on to criticise the awards for being “politically correct” and not given to those who deserve them.

Kimmel then asked the audience to guess which former president made the post as the theatre full of celebrities laughed.

“Thank you president Trump. Thank you for watching. I’m surprised you’re still watching, isn’t it past your jail time?” Kimmel quipped.

Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel reads out post from Donald Trump mid-ceremony.

Trump, who is poised to be the Republican Party’s presidential nominee in the 2024 election, is facing a series of legal troubles.

In August, he became the first president in the history of the United States to have his mugshot taken over racketeering and conspiracy charges for allegedly trying to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia.

He faces 91 charges across four separate criminal cases.

Last month, a US judge ordered that Trump pay more than $US350 million ($A529m) after finding that he inflated his net worth by billions to dupe banks and insurers over the course of a decade. It was just weeks after he was slapped with an $US83.3 million ($A126m) jury verdict in a defamation damages case in Manhattan federal court.

See all the winners from Hollywood’s night of nights here.

Originally published as ‘Jail time?’: Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel’s off-script Donald Trump swipe