May 09, 2025
Vatican Media/Imagn Images
The late-night show hosts made a few wisecracks about Pope Leo XIV, the first pope from the U.S., on Thursday night. Jimmy Fallon joked that the Villanova graduate may have done a keg stand outside at an Eagles tailgate.
As a Chicago native, Robert Francis Prevost has been the subject of good-natured memes related to "The Bear," bratwursts and the Cubs since being elected pope Thursday.
Prevost, who took the papal name Leo XIV, also is a 1977 graduate of Villanova University. If there's anything Philadelphians love, it's being the center of the universe, so the jokes have poured in about his ties to Philly as well.
RELATED: Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who graduated from Villanova in 1977, becomes first American pope
That extends to the late-night talk show circuit. Jimmy Fallon, host of "The Tonight Show" on NBC, discussed Pope Leo XIV on Thursday evening's episode.
"The new pope actually graduated from Villanova University. It's wild that we have a pope who might have done a keg stand outside an Eagles game," joked Fallon, who was raised Roman Catholic.
"Might have!"
Other late-night hosts got in on the fun, too.
"Against all odds, he's one of us, an American pope," Jimmy Kimmel said in his opening monologue on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"
"The popemobile is now a Ford F-250 with truck n*ts," Kimmel joked. "I'm actually surprised about how excited I am. When I heard this, an American, who grew up here, watched all the shows we watched, rooted for teams, is now in Rome at the head of the Church. Italy and America. This must have been what it felt like when they opened the first Olive Garden."
On "The Late Show," Stephen Colbert began his evening discussing the pope, as well.
"This means I officially can no longer imitate the pope using an Italian accent," Colbert said. "I just talked to God and he can't even help the White Sox," he continued, using his best "Bill Swerski" impression.
Colbert also joked about Leo XIV speaking Italian and Spanish to the crowd at the Vatican on Thursday, saying, "Hey, I'm an American. I shouldn't have to press '2 for pope.' Alright. Speak English like Jesus did."
