In the world of late-night television, it seems the real king of comedy has been crowned, and it’s not who you might expect. Greg Gutfeld, the conservative host who combines a sharp wit with a no-holds-barred style, is pulling off a ratings coup that’s got left-of-center hosts crying into their coffee. How, you might ask? He’s drawing in more than 3 million viewers on average per night, leaving his competition far behind in the dust.

Meanwhile, those who once ruled the late-night airwaves, like Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert, are seeing their shows falter. Jimmy Kimmel, with his viewership between 1.772 and 2.1 million, and Stephen Colbert, who draws between 2.1 and 2.417 million, are struggling to compete. Maybe viewers just weren’t laughing anymore?

As they take their bows, Gutfeld, the mastermind behind this ratings revolution, seems to be relishing his moment in the spotlight. Audiences are not tuning out because of politics, but because what was once entertainment had turned into, in his words, a therapy session for the disgruntled.

Gutfeld isn’t one to stoop to the traditional game of graciousness that so often sees celebrities lick the boots of their rivals. No, instead of kowtowing to the big networks, he’s calling it like he sees it, suggesting the late-night landscape was overdue for this kind of shake-up. Humor, he argues, is meant to challenge and push boundaries, not pander to familiar frustrations.

It’s no wonder, then, that viewers have turned to the bold and brash Greg Gutfeld. He’s delivering laughter with a side of irreverence and giving the audience a break from the political sermonizing that many believe has overrun the airwaves. At the end of the day, it’s evident that the audiences are the real decision-makers, tuning in to what they find genuinely entertaining. And right now, that entertainment is Gutfeld, the unexpected king of late-night comedy.