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Jimmy Kimmel is at it again.
ABC’s late-night host was the brains behind another hoax, this time recruiting the help of a U.S. Olympian during the Winter Olympic Games.
VIDEO: ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!‘ to Debut ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Trailer
On Wednesday, 21-year-old Olympic luger Kate Hansen posted footage on her YouTube page of a wolf roaming the hallway outside of her dormitory in Sochi’s Olympic Village in a video called “Epic #SochiFail: Wolf in my hall.” By Thursday evening, the 17-second video garnered 1.2 million views.
There was early speculation that Kimmel had a hand in Hansen’s video, but it was confirmed when the Jimmy Kimmel Live! host tweeted Thursday afternoon.
I always say, if you’re going to cry wolf – get an actual wolf to cry with http://t.co/930U3lFfr5 @k8ertotz
— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) February 20, 2014
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On Thursday’s episode, Kimmel and Hansen revealed how they accomplished their stunt, which news programs on CNN, Fox affiliates and other networks picked up. Kimmel showed the “full” version of the video on Jimmy Kimmel Live! which revealed a suited-up Kimmel “skiing” down a hallway asking, “Have you see my wolf?”
When Kimmel asked about the response to the vide, Hansen admitted to getting some heat for it. “Honestly there was a little bit more backlash than I thought there would be but it was all worth it in the end,” Hansen said of the supposed security “breach.” “It kind of went a little crazy over here but we handled it.”
Kimmel said the art department used a photo Hansen sent of her dorm hallway to reconstruct it in their Los Angeles studio. “This is how stupid our job is,” he said with a laugh, revealing that it took them “like 15 hours to construct an exact replica.” The wolf, named Rugby, is a Timber Wolf mix.
This is certainly one way for Kimmel to dominate headlines in an increasingly competitive late-night landscape, where he’s established himself as the consummate prankster. One of the most notable hoaxes Kimmel pulled off came last September when it was revealed that he was the one behind the “Worst Twerk Fail EVER – Girl Catches Fire” video, which made it onto news programs and went viral instantly.
This prank is timely as well. Ahead of the Games, visiting journalists weren’t shy about sharing stories about tepid Sochi hotel arrangements, with some dealing with missing lightbulbs, door handles and even the doors themselves for their respective rooms.
Hansen, who placed 10th in women’s luge at Sochi, is also no stranger to Internet stardom, with her enthusiastic warm-up dances — spotlighted on NBC’s primetime Olympics coverage — also going viral.
Watch the original video posted by Hansen below.
Email: Philiana.Ng@THR.com
Twitter: @insidethetube
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