The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

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Monday, 2 June 2025 - 1 hour 41 minutes

What if the price of every laugh was your own happiness? Jimmy Fallon reveals the shocking toll of his comedy empire. 

Jimmy Fallon is host of ‘The Tonight Show’, Emmy-winning comedian and television personality, and former host of ‘Saturday Night Live’ (SNL). He is also the author of children’s and comedy books such as, 'Papa Doesn't Do Anything!’ and is set to launch a new innovative marketing show called ‘On Brand with Jimmy Fallon’ this Fall.

Jimmy discusses:

• How he didn’t expect the entertainment industry to be so brutal.

• Why his sense of humour became his secret weapon.

• How he navigated receiving hate after achieving massive success in comedy.

• How his strict Catholic upbringing shaped his relentless need to please others.

• How his mother’s support gave him the confidence to chase his dreams.

  
  

  00:00 Intro

  02:24 What Made Jimmy the Way He Is Nowadays

  03:37 The Earliest Memory of Jimmy Wanting to Please Others

  04:52 Jimmy's Parents

  07:33 Jimmy's Mother

  13:02 Who Was Jimmy Trying to Impress More: His Mother or His Father?

  14:28 Jimmy's Relationship With Money

  17:05 Jimmy's Anecdote With Jerry Seinfeld

  21:11 Was Jimmy a Confident Young Man?

  22:11 Principles for Achieving Your Childhood Dream

  25:51 How Did Jimmy's Parents React to His Career Plans?

  28:10 Did Jimmy Ever Doubt Himself While Trying to Break Into Show Business?

  33:51 Where Does Jimmy's Passion for SNL Come From?

  37:58 Jimmy's Mental Health During the Auditioning Phase

  40:41 What Would Jimmy Say to His Younger Self?

  45:09 What Life Would Have Been Like If Jimmy Hadn’t Got on SNL

  47:32 Jimmy's First SNL Audition

  52:00 Getting on SNL Before Turning 25 – A Non-Negotiable Goal

  53:32 Ads

  57:36 Finally Getting SNL

  01:02:01 Was There an Anticlimax When Jimmy Got on SNL?

  01:02:50 Struggles With Public Criticism

  01:05:55 How Did Jimmy Cope With Fame?

  01:09:48 How Meeting Influential People Changed Jimmy’s Perspective

  01:12:20 How to Never Get Bored of Hosting a Show

  01:14:12 How Does Jimmy Keep Himself Challenged?

  01:14:52 Dada and "Mama" Books

  01:16:23 How Jimmy's Mother's Death Changed Him

  01:19:01 What Jimmy Misses About His Mother

  01:20:39 Jimmy's Grief After His Mother's Death

  01:21:35 Would Jimmy Have Followed His Passion Without His Mother?

  01:22:33 When Did Jimmy Start Being Concerned With Longevity?

  01:26:50 Is There Another Chapter Beyond TV for Jimmy?

  01:29:04 How Is Jimmy Misunderstood?

  01:29:31 Jimmy's Pursuits Outside of TV

  01:32:31 What Would Jimmy's Gravestone Say?

  01:34:02 How Becoming a Father Shifted Jimmy’s Meaning of Life

  01:34:44 Life Advice Jimmy Would Give to His Daughters

  01:36:39 Question From the Previous Guest

Follow Jimmy:

Instagram - https://bit.ly/3HiDAs1 

X - https://bit.ly/3Su5zrd 

TikTok - https://bit.ly/3Hk24Bu 

You can purchase Jimmy’s book, Papa Doesn't Do Anything!, here: https://amzn.to/3HgeQkc 

The 1% Diary is back - limited time only:

https://bit.ly/3YFbJbt 

The Diary Of A CEO Conversation Cards (Second Edition):

https://g2ul0.app.link/f31dsUttKKb 

Get email updates: https://bit.ly/diary-of-a-ceo-yt 

Follow Steven: https://g2ul0.app.link/gnGqL4IsKKb 

Sponsors: 

Shopify - https://shopify.com/bartlett  
Perfect Ted - https://www.perfectted.com  with code DIARY40 for 40% off

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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