Rob Ford Jimmy Kimmel

Rob Ford utterly cringeworthy on Jimmy Kimmel Live

Jimmy Kimmel didn't pull many punches in his interview with Rob Ford last night. For half an hour, the late-night talk show host roasted the mayor on everything from his crack cocaine use to his bizarre drunken behaviour and decision to attack the Toronto police chief in the aftermath of the crack video scandal.

"I feel like I've been waiting for this night my whole life," Kimmel said at the start of the show, which you can watch below (if you can stand it.)

Ford, wearing a black shirt and bright red tie, sweated and laughed nervously through the half-hour segment, often talking as though he was in front of a local audience. He said that he had saved the taxpayers a billion dollars and helped build a subway.

During the show's most uncomfortable exchange, Kimmel had Ford stand in front of a large TV and watch a series of videos that included his drunken rage at the home of a friend and his rambling, expletive-laden Jamaican patois rant at Etobicoke's Steak Queen restaurant.

Ford maintained he didn't know whose throat he was threatening to rip out and insisted he often speaks in patois with his Jamaican friends when they are in "a private setting."

The mayor also continued to bait Police Chief Bill Blair, urging him to release the crack cocaine video. "They followed me around for five months and came up empty-handed. I just want him to come clean with the taxpayers," he said.

"I want the world to see this video ... I keep saying show the video."

Kimmel finished the interview, which had top billing ahead of Gonzo the Muppet, by urging Ford to seek help if he was an alcoholic. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, and I think it's a good example for other people who might be in a similar situation."

"I'm just a normal, average. hard-working politician that's real, and I guarantee you call me and I will go to your front door," Ford replied.

"You are not the average politician, my friend," Kimmel said.

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.


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