A very emotional Jimmy Kimmel broke from the norm while opening his show last night to share details about the birth of his son 10 days ago and make a plea to American politicians about access to healthcare.

Kimmel was off the air last week after the birth of his second son William 'Billy' Kimmel and spent his monologue at the top of the show recounting the tale of Billy's heart condition and how he had to undergo open heart surgery at just three days old.

After thanking a long list of doctors and nurses who helped save his son, Kimmel moved onto the topic of healthcare in the US, urging Congress not to make cuts to the National Institutes of Health, saying "If your baby is going to die it shouldn’t matter how much money you make."

Kimmel will be off for the rest of the week on paternity leave while a roster of guest-hosts fill in for him. Will Arnett, Anthony Anderson, Kristen Bell and David Spade are all set to host and inteview guests Maya Rudolph, Ben McKenzie, Charlie Hunnam, Adam Scott and Guy Ritchie over the week.