Jimmy Kimmel hints possible retirement from his late night show

Jimmy Kimmel | Image: Screengab from YouTube/Jimmy Kimmel Live

Jimmy Kimmel admitted he’s having thoughts of ending his hosting career at his late-night talk show after his contract ends with the network. 

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, the TV host confessed that he might retire from his nightly hour-long show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” once his current contract expires after hosting it for 21 years. 

“I think this is my final contract. I hate to even say it, because everyone’s laughing at me now — each time I think that, and then it turns out to be not the case. I still have a little more than two years left on my contract, and that seems pretty good. That seems like enough,” he said. 

Kimmel first admitted his desire to vacate his hosting gig when he spoke on the Strike Force Five, saying that during the writer’s strike he’d considered leaving the show but at the same time acknowledged that he missed the fun when he took summer offs. 

The host-comedian shared that the thought of leaving came back to him as he prepared for his Academy Awards hosting gig this coming March, stressing the difficulty that comes with being a host, such as writing the script. 

“I was very tired and I had all these scripts to go through. I had to revise and rewrite all these pitch ideas for the Oscars, and I was literally nodding off onto my computer. In those moments, I think, ‘I cannot wait until my contract is over,’” he shared. 

The show’s longevity on air still surprises Kimmel making him say it’s also hard to miss it when you’re still at it. 

“I’m as surprised as anyone [that I] could be in this position, even to have a really good job is a surprise to me. It’s hard to yearn for it when you’re doing it,” said the host. 

“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” first premiered in January 2003, with George Clooney as the first ever guest.