It appears that Jimmy Kimmel isn’t going anywhere.
Rumors recently surfaced that the popular late-night host was going to step down from his ABC show after his contract ends in May. But it seems those aren’t true, with Deadline reporting that Kimmel is actually in talks to renew his deal to host Jimmy Kimmel Live! for another year.
“Kimmel and Disney are in those talks at the moment. The wrinkle? ABC reportedly is keen to cut the budget of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, a move that is becoming increasingly commonplace in late-night television,” the outlet writes, adding that “Disney is keen to make cuts across the board.”
The network even offered longtime executives early retirement in August, which came shortly after they began a round of layoffs, eliminating more than 1,000 jobs. And late-night television is no longer safe, which became even more evident when CBS shockingly ended The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Kimmel signed a one-year extension with Disney in December 2025, with the deal set to run through May 2027.
Jimmy Kimmel Recently Talked About Retirement
During an appearance alongside his wife on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast, Kimmel talked about the possibility of retirement, specifically being asked if he would regret the decision to leave.
“I know people who’ve been in that situation. It’s funny. People make a big show of like ‘I’m done and I’m tired 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?,” Kimmel said. “Do you ever think to yourself, ‘How would I explain this to me at 25 years old, just giving up, just letting it go?’ I know that 25-year-old me will be like, ‘Are you crazy?’ I would have just been so excited to work at a place that had a snack table that was free.”
The late-night host went on to add that it “depends on what you mean by retirement.”
“I’m never going to stop doing things. It’s just a different scenario,” he expressed.
Stephen Colbert Is Returning To Late-Night With The Help of Jimmy Kimmel
CBSIn May, Colbert’s late-night show ended, but the popular host is set to make his return on Tuesday, Sept. 15 with an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
“We will be back in a very big way on Tuesday night, after the Emmys with the one and only Stephen Colbert, who will making his return to late-night television,” Kimmel told his audience on Thursday, Sept. 10.
“Right here,” he added, pointing to the guests’ seats set up by his desk. “Or maybe right here. Maybe I’ll let him sit here, I don’t know,” Kimmel added, gesturing to his desk. “Either way, please join us for that.”
CBS made the decision to end the show, releasing a statement in which they said they “consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire The Late Show franchise at that time.”
“We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television,” the statement continued. “This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”
