Jimmy Kimmel Talks Late-Night Retirement & What’s Next
What To Know
- Jimmy Kimmel has seriously considered retiring from his late-night show after a year of controversies.
- Kimmel and his wife, executive producer Molly McNearney, have discussed the pros and cons of stepping away.
- The late-night host signed a one-year extension with Disney in December.
Jimmy Kimmel signed a one-year extension with Disney in December to continue his late-night show, but he has given retirement serious thought in recent months.
The late-night host and his wife, Molly McNearney, who serves as an executive producer on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, appeared on the latest episode of Dax Shepard‘s Armchair Expert podcast, where they were asked about potentially stepping away from the show.
Kimmel admitted that he and his wife have had those discussions but said he doesn’t want to be one of those people who say they’re going away only to come back a year or so later basically doing the same thing.
“I know people who’ve been in that situation. It’s funny. People make a big show of like ‘I’m done and I’m tired doing this’, and then they make a lesser comeback trying to do the same thing,” he explained, per Deadline. “That’s always a bummer. I always look at that and go, ‘Oh, is that going to be me?'”
He also said that his younger self would call him “crazy” for walking away from a hit primetime talk show. “Do you ever think to yourself, ‘How would I explain this to me at 25 years old, just giving up, just letting it go?’ I know that 25-year-old me will be like, ‘Are you crazy?’” he stated. “I would have just been so excited to work at a place that had a snack table that was free.”
Kimmel added that “It depends on what you mean by retirement,” noting, “I’m never going to stop doing things. It’s just a different scenario.”
McNearney admitted to having mixed feelings about retirement. “I would be happy to be done with the show and end it in a great way and do my own next thing,” she said. “But I do care deeply about that show and the people who work there, and I think the voice is really important right now.”
She continued, “It definitely appeals to me, for the nervous system of the household, but I also feel Jimmy has like a fly rod in one hand and like a torch in the other right now. It’s like he deserves to go out there and just be on the river and relax, but I also want him to keep fighting, and I feel this sense of desire to not quit because I think what he’s doing is incredibly important right now.”
Kimmel experienced a wild 2025, including a temporary suspension following backlash to a joke he made about the Charlie Kirk assassination. The comedian faced the wrath of the FCC and President Donald Trump, the latter of whom called for ABC to fire Kimmel.
McNearney reiterated that she thinks Kimmel is an important voice that people need right now but also confessed, “As his wife, I really would like him to be able to not do the show anymore so he could relax.”
Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Weeknights, 11:35/10:35c, ABC
Conversation9 Comments
Please read the TV Insider Community Guidelines.
Register or sign in to join the conversation.
-
F
Gotta agree with his wife. His voice is incredibly important right now, especially with the loss of Stephen Colbert, so please don't retire quite yet, JK.
-
A
Especially while all along his wife is lining her purse
-
-
D
He did not make a joke about the Charlie Kirk assassination. He made a joke about Trump's and the MAGA reaction to Kirk's assassination.
-
A
Either way, in very bad taste at the very least; especially later when he was blubbering about his friends death not very long after Kimmel and wife's bad "joke".
-
-
S
If Kimmel leaves Trump will say he had a hand in the departure and Jimmy can't give him anything. Hope he stays until the end of Trump's term. I think Colbert leaving fired Jimmy up.Trump poked a bear months ago and the bear is still angry. Ironically, I think retirement would be more tempting now if the whole suspension incident hadn't happened. I guess we'll all find out next spring how mad the bear still is.
-
A
Remember when "the bear" was on The Man Show; he's a self righteous joke.
-
S
Sure I remember "The Man Show". Jimmy has grown up a lot since he left. Corolla not so sure about. Kimmel just tells us how it is with Trump night after night. DJT writes the jokes just by waking up and opening his pie hole. Self righteous joke? Must be talking about someone who started a war but has no idea how to finish it or how to fix a reflecting pool without America laughing among many other comical things. Sure ain't Jimmy. We both know who the joke really is.
-
-
-
M
Hopefully, he disappears into permanent obscurity.
-
T
This guy really thinks he is important. No talk show host has ever really been important, not even the King of them all, Johnny Carson. But Kimmel and the obnoxious Colbert think they are God's gifts to the world. Go ahead and retire Jimmy. Your incredible sense of entitlement will not be missed.
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services