John Oliver ends final show of the year by telling 2020 to ‘get f***ed’

Comedian went out with a bang in his last episode of the year

John Oliver is bidding farewell to 2020 (Rex Features)

John Oliver closed his final show of the year by telling 2020 it could “go f*** itself”.

The comedian and late-night host said he hoped that next year would be better, noting how the past 12 months have been filled with little but disappointment.

He cited examples including the deaths of Chadwick Boseman, John Lewis and Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

“2020 was absolutely terrible and I really hope next year is going to be better, but the truth is [that] what happens next is up to all of us,” he said.

“It’s going to depend on how willing we are to fight, how well we learned from what happened and how much we are able to care about each other.”

He said that while he didn’t know what would happen next, he knew “what happens now”. 

Oliver then got up in a dramatic manner and picked up a detonator: “Let tomorrow be about solutions,” he said. “Today is about vengeance… f*** you, 2020. Get f***ed.”

He then pressed the detonator, causing the 2020 behind him to blow up.

Oliver pulled a similar stunt in 2016, in which he ran a clip showing news events such as Brexit, the refugee crisis, and Donald Trump winning the US election.

In the latest episode, Oliver condemned Trump’s refusal to publicly concede to Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election.

“As a parting gift to the country, Trump is somehow managing to divide us even further while also hobbling his successor at the worst possible time which is absolutely unforgivable,” he said.

“At least in the short term, things are going to suck for a while, but we have to try and repair this damage.”

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver is scheduled to return in February 2021.