Howard Stern turned a Wednesday appearance on Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show into a fiery defense of the host, delivering harsh words for ABC while Kimmel sat through the unexpectedly personal tribute.

Stern’s message followed a report earlier this month claiming Kimmel’s show was on the chopping block. ABC denied that account, but the denial did not stop Stern from putting the network’s executives on notice about the host’s future.

“I have heard many rumors about this show,” Stern said. “I don’t know if they’re true or false. Alright? But I want to say something to the ABC, if they are watching right now—there is no man more loyal to this company than this guy.”

The remarks drew applause from the audience attending Kimmel’s “Brooklyn Week.” Stern then made the moment more personal, praising qualities he said Kimmel had demonstrated away from the cameras.

“He’s a real human being. And I don’t mean to embarrass you, but he’s an emotional and a feeling man.”

Stern continued by pointing to Kimmel’s record of supporting ABC, including his appearances at corporate events intended to attract advertisers. According to Stern, Kimmel attended those functions because he believed the network needed him there, not because ABC paid him to participate.

“There is nobody more loyal than Jimmy Kimmel,” Stern added. “I’ve said to him, you know, he goes to these things. ABC has a corporate function where they try to attract advertisers. Every year he’d go to what they call the ‘Upfronts,’ right?”

Stern then recounted asking Kimmel why he would attend the events without extra compensation. His telling presented Kimmel as a host who repeatedly showed up for the network, including at charity events ABC asked him to attend.

“And I said, ‘Jimmy, why would you go to that? They don’t pay you to do it.’ And you know what he said to me? He said, ‘I go because it’s ABC and they need me to do it.’ And you’ve gone to every charity event they ever asked you to attend.”

The praise arrived after ABC had suspended Kimmel indefinitely following threats from Trump’s FCC. The network caved to MAGA outrage over Kimmel’s comments about the faction’s reaction to the death of Charlie Kirk, then reinstated the host six days later.

Stern eventually moved from praising Kimmel to directly warning ABC. He told the network to remember everything Kimmel had done for the company, then enlisted the audience in a pointed show of support.

“He has done everything for the company, and I hope that they keep that in mind. And oh my God, I don’t know about you,” Stern told the audience, “but if something goes wrong, oh, is ABC going to have hell to pay. Who’s with me?”

The question brought more applause from Kimmel’s fans. It also transformed what began as a personal defense of the host into an unmistakable warning aimed at the network that employs him.

The rumors Stern referenced followed a claim made to Page Six by an insider in early September. The insider said Kimmel’s contract would not be renewed after the show’s current 24th season.

ABC rejected that claim in a statement to the Daily Beast. “This information is inaccurate—any reports about the future of the show at this point are purely speculative.”

Any decision to end the show would appear strange in light of Kimmel’s consistent ratings victories cited in the source. According to Variety, Kimmel is attracting far more viewers than any other late night show.

Those ratings have arrived despite frequent threats and insults from Trump. The first lady also publicly asked ABC to “take a stand” against Kimmel and fire him, adding another layer of political pressure around the host.

Stern’s intervention made clear that Kimmel has vocal support inside the entertainment world. On Kimmel’s own stage, he praised the host’s loyalty, embarrassed him with an emotional tribute, and warned ABC that dropping him would bring a furious response.