Kimmel confirms he’s done hosting the Oscars and jokes about the future of late-night TV
Jimmy Kimmel, host of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, has made it clear he’s not planning to host the Oscars again anytime soon. After winning an Emmy for his work hosting the 2023 Oscars, Kimmel joked that his decision to step away is final.
“The die has been cast,” he said with a laugh.
This was Kimmel’s fourth time hosting the Oscars, but he won’t be back for a fifth. While he didn’t completely close the door on hosting again in the future, he made it clear he won’t be doing it in 2025. He explained that the time and effort it takes to prepare for such a big event, combined with his regular work on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, is just too much. Hosting three years in a row, he said, would have been overwhelming.
“It’s a lot to juggle,” he admitted.
Kimmel isn’t the only comedian stepping away from hosting duties. John Mulaney also turned down an offer to host the 2025 Oscars, and as of now, no one else has been confirmed for the job.
As Kimmel takes a break from the Oscars, he’s still focusing on his late-night show. However, even the world of late-night TV is changing. NBC recently announced that The Tonight Show will no longer air new episodes five nights a week. Kimmel’s own show, along with The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Late Night with Seth Meyers, has already cut back to four nights a week.
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Kimmel shared a funny moment backstage after his Emmy win, saying that all the current late-night hosts have a group text where they chat. “We all sent our congratulations to Jimmy Fallon for getting Fridays off,” Kimmel joked, referring to the new four-night schedule for The Tonight Show.
But Kimmel didn’t shy away from the bigger picture. He said, half-jokingly, “There is no future for late-night,” as the room laughed. His comment reflects the challenges late-night shows are facing these days, with more people watching content online and on-demand rather than tuning in live. Ratings have dropped, and the traditional five-nights-a-week schedule may soon be a thing of the past.
Despite these changes, Kimmel continues to host Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which has been on the air since 2003. While the future of late-night TV might be uncertain, Kimmel remains a key figure as the format evolves.
For now, fans can expect to see more of Kimmel on his nightly show. But if you’re hoping to catch him hosting the Oscars again, don’t hold your breath—he’s stepping away from that spotlight for the foreseeable future.
News Source: DEADLINE
