EXCLUSIVE: Party-Loving Jimmy Fallon 'Could Spiral into Booze Nightmare' If He Caves to Pressure Over Plummeting 'Tonight Show' Ratings, Pals Fear
Jimmy Fallon's friends are said to be worrying pressure from falling 'Tonight Show' ratings could push him back into wild living.
Feb. 28 2025, Published 8:07 a.m. ET
Funnyman Jimmy Fallon is feeling increasing pressure at The Tonight Show as ratings plummet, and no one in his inner circle is laughing as they worry it could send the host on another dangerous downward spiral, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
As readers know, 10 years ago, Fallon was rumored to have been in a hard-partying period and hitting New York bars after work. He once bizarrely fell in his kitchen and caught his wedding ring on a table, almost detaching his finger.
He ended up needing surgery to save it.
And things got so bad that his wife, Nancy Juvonen, reportedly kicked him out of the house for a time, forcing him to move into a hotel, with sources saying he only cleaned up after NBC execs stepped in.
Fallon is facing growing pressure as 'The Tonight' Show ratings tumble.
And now – even though an insider stressed he's been way healthier in recent times – another source said "the heavy stress" Fallon finds himself under these days could be his downfall.
The Tonight Show's ratings have plunged 41 percent in the last five years, so NBC brass trimmed the show's schedule from five nights a week to four, ratcheting up the comedian's anxiety levels to 11.
Our source said: "People are whispering this could be the beginning of the end, that the show might get canceled, or he might get replaced.
"He's fighting to survive, and the stakes are very high. He's been in hustle mode ever since, begging all his famous friends to come on to give him a boost, but it's still a big weight on him."
NBC's late-night star is under scrutiny as insiders fear a return to old habits.
While one insider told RadarOnline.com there's "zero truth" to rumors Fallon has a drinking problem or is stressed about declining ratings, those closest to him believe he's extremely vulnerable to backsliding.
In 2023, 16 of his staffers claimed his "drinking" had caused "erratic behavior," creating a "toxic" workplace.
Fallon reportedly apologized to his entire staff over Zoom, saying: "I feel so bad I can't even tell you."
Since then, the presenter is thought to have been on the straight and narrow, and his loved ones are said to be "desperate" to keep it that way, sources tell us.
Fallon's inner circle worry stress from sinking ratings could trigger a relapse, insiders insist.
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Our source said: "He's got round-the-clock minders. Whether it's his wife, an assistant, a personal trainer or a bodyguard, he's never alone, as no-one wants to tempt fate and leave him to his own devices.
"Jimmy scoffs at the idea he needs this, but there's no doubt he likes having a buffer to insulate him from the world.
"Plenty of people are convinced that, whether he admits it or not, he could backslide. This gives his loved ones a lot of peace of mind."
