Jimmy Kimmel Hints At Leaving Late Night Show: ‘That Seems Like Enough’

Jimmy Kimmel seemingly hinted at not renewing his contract for his late-night talk show, "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times published Tuesday, the 56-year-old host said that the finale of his 21-year-old talk show could happen sometime soon.

"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," Kimmel revealed.

He added, "I still have a little more than two years left on my contract, and that seems pretty good. That seems like enough."

This was not the first time the seasoned host talked about retiring and walking away from his long-time show.

In August 2023, Kimmel confessed his "intent on retiring" in the first episode of Spotify's "Strike Force Five" podcast, which he hosted with other late-night talk show hosts Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert and John Oliver amid the Writers Guild of America strike.

He asked his late-night talk show host counterparts, "Are you ready to go back to work?"

"Because as you know, I was very intent on retiring right around the time [when] the strike started," he continued.

However, he also realized that "it's kind of nice to work" and added, "When you are working, you think about not working."

The strike made him realize that he still enjoys doing his late-night show.

"In those moments, I think, 'I cannot wait until my contract is over.' But then, I take the summer off or go on strike, and you start going, 'Yeah, I miss the fun stuff,'" he said in his new interview, recollecting his thoughts during the strike.

The TV host-comedian previously extended the contract for "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" for three more years. He announced on Sept. 20, 2022, that he would continue hosting his late-night show through its 23rd season, per Variety.

"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" made its broadcast debut on Jan. 26, 2003, after the Super Bowl on ABC. His first guests were George Clooney, Snoop Dogg and Coldplay.

For the show's 20th anniversary last year, the three artists returned to celebrate with Kimmel.