Jimmy Kimmel Opens Up About His Future in Late-Night TV After Stephen Colbert’s Departure

Jimmy Kimmel is openly questioning how much longer he will stay in late-night television after the recent end of Stephen Colbert’s CBS run prompted fresh doubts about the genre’s future. In a candid interview with Vulture published on Monday, Kimmel said Colbert’s cancellation left him feeling “a little bit defeated” and made him reflect on his own career path. He admitted that, in some ways, he now sees Colbert’s situation as a preview of what could happen to him next.

Kimmel pushed back on the idea that late-night TV has lost its audience entirely. He argued that hosts still reach huge numbers through online clips, interviews, and viral moments, saying the combined digital and linear audiences remain significant. But he also suggested that the industry’s problems are not just about changing viewing habits. His remark that late-night hosts are “not just dying of natural causes” but are being “poisoned” added a sharper political edge to his comments and quickly drew attention.

The ABC host said he does not yet know whether he will renew his contract when it expires in 2027. While some performers might choose a dramatic exit, Kimmel said that would not be his approach. He described himself as wanting to be “responsible” and indicated that leaving in a big public spectacle would feel selfish to him. Instead, he said he is more interested in personal freedom than in making a final statement from the desk.

Kimmel also made clear that he has no elaborate post-late-night career plan waiting in the wings. His vision for life after television is simple: more time, less pressure, and the chance to go fishing when conditions are right. After more than two decades hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live!, he appears to be thinking less about another job and more about stepping away from the nightly grind altogether.

The interview was made even more notable by comments from Kimmel’s longtime producer, Erin Irwin, who said discussions about his eventual exit have been happening for a while behind the scenes. She said she would like him to continue through the next presidential election cycle, but also acknowledged that fatigue may be a real factor in his decision. Her comment that “he’s tired” reinforced the sense that Kimmel’s future is uncertain.

Kimmel has anchored Jimmy Kimmel Live! since 2003, becoming one of the defining figures of modern late-night television. Over the years, he has navigated shifting ratings, political fights, platform changes, and a rapidly changing media landscape. With Colbert now gone and Kimmel publicly reflecting on retirement, the late-night format itself faces renewed questions about how long it can remain a cultural mainstay.

For fans, the possibility of Kimmel leaving marks more than a personal career question. It signals a potentially historic turning point for a television era that has shaped comedy, politics, and pop culture for decades.