Jimmy Kimmel Says Colbert Cancellation Makes Him Question His Future at ABC
Kimmel told Vulture he feels defeated by the end of The Late Show and is unsure whether he will renew his ABC contract in 2027. His producer said the host has discussed leaving and is tired.
nypost.comJimmy Kimmel said he feels a little bit defeated by the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and that in a lot of ways he feels like he is looking at his own future. Kimmel, who has hosted Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC since 2003, was taken off the air for six days in September after a comment regarding Charlie Kirk’s death.
He told Vulture that there are far more people watching late-night TV than there ever were when online views and linear-television ratings are combined. “We’re not just dying of natural causes,” Kimmel stated. ” Kimmel said he is unsure whether he will renew his contract with ABC in May 2027 or announce his retirement.
He added that it is important to him to be responsible in how he might end his show. “I know I could go out in a blaze of glory and get a lot of applause for it, but it would be a very selfish thing to do,” Kimmel said. He admitted that professionally he has no idea what he will do after he retires from late-night.
“Freedom is what I want more than anything,” Kimmel said. ” Kimmel’s longtime producer Erin Irwin told Vulture that the comedian has been talking about leaving for a while. Irwin said she hopes the show continues through the 2028 presidential election but does not know if Jimmy can do it for that long.
“He’s tired,” Irwin added. In July 2025, Colbert announced that CBS was pulling the plug on The Late Show franchise. The franchise was hosted by David Letterman from 1993 until 2015 when Colbert took over.
The decision came shortly after Colbert criticized Paramount for settling with President Trump for $16 million after he sued the company for allegedly editing a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. CBS insisted the cancellation was a purely financial decision that was not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.
Colbert’s final show aired on May 21.
Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, John Oliver and John Stewart appeared on the episode.
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