Jimmy Kimmel Improvises On AMA Hosting Script

November 19, 2007 5:54 a.m. EST

Los Angeles, CA (CNS) - This year's American Music Awards was hosted by late night talk show host and comic Jimmy Kimmel. During the beginning of the show, he said that he would be ad libbing the three-hour live show because of the current writer's strike.

The awards which were aired on ABC already had the basic script written before the strike but he needed updates on current events and that was the part where he added his own words to the script.

Included in the improvised opening remarks, Kimmel said, "This is going to be a little bit loose tonight because I'm a member of the Writers Guild and we're on strike." He adds, "It may not look like it, but I'm striking right now in my heart. I wasn't allowed to write any jokes for tonight. That's good for those of you sitting in the front row, but bad for you who have to sit through made-up crap."

Kimmel decided to go into the audience at the beginning of the show and interact with the celebrities. Initially, he convinced American Idol alums Kellie Pickler and Jordin Sparks to join him on stage to dance the hit single from Soulja Boy, "Crank Dat Soulja Boy." As he handed out props such as dark sunglasses and a white baseball cap to Pickler and Sparks, he wore a white hooded jacket and the three started dancing until Soulja Boy came in from backstage to help them out with their dilemma.

The strike, which has been ongoing on its third week, didn't faze Kimmel in his hosting. Some of his improvised lines included an introduction to Snoop Dogg as "one of America's most beloved and arrested hip-hop stars." And during his final remarks he thanked "Promises rehab facility for letting so many of our stars out for tonight's program."