Jimmy Kimmel explains his reaction to Fergie's 'unusually sultry' rendition of the National Anthem

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February 21, 2018 3:15 PM

Jimmy Kimmel has a perfectly good reason why he was caught smiling during Fergie's singing of the National Anthem at the NBA All-Star game, which went viral.

Fergie gave a unique rendition of the National Anthem at the NBA All-Star game on Sunday.
It instantly went viral in part because of the reactions by the players and Jimmy Kimmel, who were all caught on-camera holding back laughs and smiles.
Kimmel explained why he was smiling during the song on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" Tuesday.

To kick off Sunday's NBA All-Star Game, singer Fergie had the honor of singing the National Anthem. But her unique rendition didn't go the way she planned, and it instantly went viral.

A big reason for it becoming an internet sensation was because of the reaction of the players and Jimmy Kimmel, who were all caught holding back smiles and laughs while Fergie belted out a sensual rendition of the anthem.

On Tuesday's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," the late-night host explained why he was smiling during what he described as, an "unusually sultry" version of the song.

"The reason I was smiling is because I love the National Anthem so much," he jokingly told his audience. "That’s the face I make."

Kimmel went on to say, "I didn’t realize I was on camera, then my phone started buzzing and texting."

Fergie has released a statement saying, "I've always been honored and proud to perform the National Anthem and last night I wanted to try something special for the NBA. I'm a risk taker artistically, but clearly this rendition didn't strike the intended tone. I love this country and honestly tried my best."

"Here’s the thing about taking risks," said Kimmel Tuesday night, who noted that the singer didn't intentionally try to ruin the song. "When it comes to the National Anthem — don’t. Don’t take risks when you’re doing brain surgery, don’t take risks when you’re driving a school bus or singing the National Anthem. Just regular is fine."

Kimmel added, however: "In Fergie’s defense, we don’t know what Francis Scott Key was thinking when he wrote 'The Star-Spangled Banner,' maybe he wanted it to be sexy."

Here's Kimmel talking about being part Fergie's viral moment:

Jimmy Kimmel on His Reaction to Fergie's National Anthem

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