It would be an understatement to say that this has been an eventful year for long-running talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! This past September, Kimmel’s show was suspended by ABC due to comments he made in relation to the death of political pundit Charlie Kirk. Days later, though, the series was reinstated. All of that drama aside, there were still questions in regard to how long Kimmel wanted to keep hosting the show. Well, he confirmed on air that Live! was renewed and, in true Kimmel fashion, he made some A+ jokes as well.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! Is Renewed, And The Host Shares His Funny Take
News of Live!’s renewal started making the rounds earlier this week, though Kimmel himself didn’t respond to the news right away. He saved those remarks for the monologue he delivered during the December 8th broadcast of his eponymous talk show (which is on YouTube). Kimmel decidedly kept the big news for the very last part of his address. When speaking on the subject, he expressed gratitude and also found a way to humorously mention those who utilize the series during “toilet time”:
I have decided to extend my contract here at ABC for another year…. Our show’s been renewed ‘til May of 2027 or until the world ends, whichever comes first. But I thought about it, I decided – I’d given it a lot of thought and decided I would like to spend less time with my family. So to our audience here and at home, I’m honored and humbled to be a part of your routine, whether it’s in bed at night or during your morning toilet time. It means a lot to me to have your attention, and to work with this great group of people for another year, my co-workers.
Of course, I’m not sure if anyone felt personally attacked by that “toilet time” comment. However, there are surely those who may not tune in for Live!’s actual broadcasts but just catch highlights on YouTube later on during their time on their porcelain thrones. It doesn’t seem to matter how viewers check out the show amid the 2025 TV schedule, though. And that’s because the Man Show alum seems thankful that anyone would choose to watch him in any form as long as he's on the air.
This Renewal Comes After Jimmy Kimmel’s Retirement And Late-Night TV Comments
Kimmel has been talking about potentially stepping away from his show for years at this point. That retirement talk really heated up in early 2024, though, when he opened up about how he feels the urge to leave his post when the work becomes all-consuming. But, simultaneously, he also asserted that whenever he’s away from the job for a while, he feels the itch to return to it. Later that year, Kimmel spoke more about possibly retiring and got real about the uncertainty of what he would do next after leaving late-night TV.
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Additionally, Jimmy Kimmel has also been vocal about the state of the late-night landscape, which has been evolving over the last several years. Kimmel addressed the elephant in the room, saying that he wasn’t sure if there would even be any late-night TV shows on networks “in 10 years.” Concerns about the future of the format have seemingly been growing, especially in the aftermath of The Late Show’s cancellation at CBS.
So, given the state of the business, Kimmel does indeed have reason to be thankful that he’ll be on the air for at least one more TV season. With that, fans will continue to have the option to watch him live or check out his show later while they’re sitting on the toilet.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs on weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on ABC, and it can also be streamed with a YouTube TV subscription.