Jimmy Kimmel has been the face of late-night television in America for 22 years and counting. He's a mainstay in millions of homes and part of our evening routines. Yet, as Kimmel has navigated arguably his toughest year to date, with the loss of a friend and a brief suspension, many have begun to wonder whether late-night talk shows would continue when he inevitably steps away from Jimmy Kimmel Live!
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The veteran host shared his opinion on the future of late-night talk shows during a recent appearance at the 2026 Critics' Choice Awards, where he won the award for Best Talk Show.
"They may not happen late at night. I think there are some shows that are called late night talk shows that aren't late night talk shows that still have the same format, and maybe we need a different term for them, but it seems to me it's one of the cheapest forms of broadcasting, and it would be very surprising to me if it, it went away entirely," Kimmel said. "Maybe it won't be as big, maybe there won't be a big band welcoming the host of the stage, maybe there won't be 15 writers, but I think there will be some version of late-night talk show."
Jimmy Kimmel Previously Said He's on His Final Contract
During a 2024 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Kimmel admitted that he's likely working on his final contract.
"I think this is my final contract," Kimmel said. "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."
Toward the end of 2025, Kimmel lost his close childhood friend and long-time bandleader for the show, Cleto Escobedo III. According to a source who spoke with Globe, the veteran TV host has been struggling with that loss.
"Jimmy is spiraling," a source told the Globe. "He's known Cleto since he was just a kid and he never expected him to be gone this soon. It's got Jimmy facing his own mortality and questioning everything. He's in a very dark place."
The source then continued by noting that those around Kimmel are "begging" him to step away from television.
"Jimmy is tired and he's grieving and he's completely burned out. You can see just by looking at him that he's barely holding it together," the source continued. "People in his life are begging him to step back from the show before the job eats him alive. They're terrified that if he doesn't make a change soon, the stress will destroy him. He's never been this down."
According to PEOPLE, Kimmel's current contract runs until 2027. Maybe then, we will find out what a future without Kimmel leading the late-night talk show scene will look like.
