After the end of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel believes his days on late-night are numbered.
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President Donald Trump predicted it on Truth Social on May 22, the day after Colbert's last episode.
"Stephen Colbert's firing from CBS was the 'Beginning of the End' for untalented, nasty, highly overpaid, not funny, and very poorly rated Late Night Television Hosts," he wrote. "Others, of even less talent, to soon follow. May they all Rest in Peace!"
In a new interview with Vulture, the television host seemed to echo President Trump's sentiments. Reflecting on the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live last September and CBS's recent cancellation of The Late Show, Kimmel remarked that these events feel like the beginning of the end for the talk-show format.
"One of the things we talked about when I first got suspended was that I can't do this show if I'm going to be micromanaged," he said.
Jimmy Kimmel Says More People Are Watching Late-Night, but the Format Is Being "Poisoned"
The 58-year-old went on to say that "there are far more people watching late-night TV than there ever were." He included the views he and his peers get on online outlets, as well as regular television ratings.
Despite these audience numbers, Kimmel believes that attacks from President Trump and other officials and pundits may be accelerating the end of talk shows.
"We're not just dying of natural causes. We're being poisoned," Kimmel explained.
Furthermore, the end of Colbert's show reinforced rather than eased Kimmel's fears.
"I feel a little bit defeated by it," Kimmel said. "In a lot of ways, I feel like I'm looking at my own future."
Is Jimmy Kimmel Going to Retire?
Kimmel once considered ending Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2020. However, six years later, his plans had clearly shifted.
Kimmel's producer, Erin Irwin, shared that the host has "been talking about leaving for a while." She hopes that he will stick around until the 2028 elections. However, she doesn't know if he can do it for another two years.
She explained, "He's tired."
When Kimmel does eventually retire, he doesn't know what's next.
"Professionally, I have no idea what I'm going to do after this," he said. "Freedom is what I want more than anything. I want to be able to go fishing because the fishing's good."
