Mon Nov 24 04:10:00 UTC 2025: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

John Oliver Auctions Off Infamous Props to Support Public Media

NEW YORK, NY – November 22, 2025 – In a move both characteristic and calculated, John Oliver, host of HBO’s “Last Week Tonight,” has launched an online charity auction featuring a decade’s worth of the show’s most outlandish and memorable props. The auction, titled “John Oliver’s Junk,” aims to bolster the Public Media Bridge Fund, providing crucial financial aid to local public media stations grappling with funding shortfalls following cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).

The auction announcement capped a recent “Last Week Tonight” episode focusing on the challenges facing public media. Oliver and his team responded in their signature style: transforming a collection of long-running gags and cultural curiosities into a attention-grabbing event with a clear political message.

The catalog is a bizarre mix of the valuable and the downright absurd. The headline item is a rare Bob Ross painting created on-air during “The Joy of Painting,” donated by the artist’s estate, with a starting bid of $25,000.

Other offerings are decidedly more Oliver-esque. Highlights include the leather jockstrap Russell Crowe wore in “Cinderella Man,” acquired during Crowe’s “Art of Divorce” auction in 2018; “Mrs. Cabbage Oliver,” a silicone-and-foam “wife” from a segment on AI-generated art; a sculptural representation of Lyndon B. Johnson’s (ahem) manhood; and the gold sneakers Oliver pledged to wear if Sepp Blatter ever resigned as FIFA president.

There’s also a painting of Larry Kudlow’s ties, purchased during the Trump administration, and now repurposed as charity bait.

For those seeking more than mere memorabilia, one lot offers the chance to appear in an over-the-shoulder photo with Oliver on a future episode, along with VIP tickets to a taping and a signed photograph. Rounding out the collection are limited reserves of John Oliver’s Cabernet SauvignJohn wine, and autographed merchandise from the Erie Moon Mammoths, the minor-league baseball team “Last Week Tonight” renamed earlier this season.

All 65 items are available for bidding through Monday, November 24, at johnoliversjunk.com.

“Last Week Tonight,” which concluded its 12th season, is expected to return for its 13th season in February 2026.

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