Jimmy Kimmel candidly reflected on a potential late-night TV retirement during a new interview alongside his wife and executive producer Molly McNearney. He also discussed whether he would have any regrets after leaving.
Jimmy Kimmel fears he’ll regret late-night retirement
Kimmel and McNearney recently appeared on Dax Shepard and Monica Padman’s Armchair Expert podcast. The topic of conversation even shifted to Kimmel’s prospective retirement. In recent months, the late-night talk show space has witnessed considerable upheavals. Back in 2025, CBS canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and its last episode aired in May 2026. Kimmel himself was temporarily pulled off the air by ABC. This was after his comments about the late right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk.
Shepard noted that he and Kimmel often discuss retirement before asking McNearney for her thoughts on it. “It definitely appeals to me for the nervous system of the household,” she replied before adding that she wants Kimmel “to keep fighting.” McNearney continued, “I feel this sense of desire to not quit, because I think what he’s doing is incredibly important right now.”
However, McNearney also said that, as Kimmel’s wife, she “really would like him to be able to not do the show anymore so he could relax.”
Meanwhile, Kimmel reflected on whether he would have any regrets after his departure. “I know people who’ve been in that situation,” Kimmel explained. “It’s funny. People make a big show of like ‘I’m done, and I’m tired [of] doing this’, and then they make a lesser comeback trying to do the same thing. That’s always a bummer. I always look at that and go, ‘Oh, is that going to be me?'” he added.
Kimmel also noted that his 25-year-old self would wonder if he was “crazy” about the prospect of retirement. He said, “I would have just been so excited to work at a place that had a snack table that was free.”
Originally reported by Tamal Kundu for Coming Soon.
