August M
Jimmy Kimmel’s long-standing late-night tenure isn’t ending just yet. The host has signed a new one-year contract extension that secures Jimmy Kimmel Live! on air through 2027,
People reports, adding another chapter to a year already marked by controversy and political scrutiny.
Bloomberg first revealed the extension on 8 December, noting that Kimmel’s previous deal was set to expire in May 2026.
Renewal amid political pressure
The news comes as President Donald Trump continues to call for the show’s cancellation. Trump has repeatedly attacked the host, claiming he has “no talent,” “very poor television ratings” and calling him a “bum” on Truth Social. Kimmel, 58, has used his monologues to fire back with humour.
This latest contract also follows a tumultuous autumn for the ABC programme. In September, the network abruptly removed the show from its lineup after Kimmel commented on the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
ABC said his remarks were ‘offensive and insensitive … at a critical time in our national political discourse,’ and stated that continuing to air the show ‘is simply not in the public interest at the current time,’ People reports
Suspension and ratings rebound
The show remained off the air for six nights, returning on 24 September. Kimmel opened with a tribute to Kirk and his widow, Erika Kirk.
Two days later, he joked that the controversy had delivered ratings gold, noting that his comeback episode drew one of the highest audience numbers in more than two decades. ‘We couldn’t have done it without you, Mr. President,’ he quipped, People notes
Looking past retirement talk
According to People, before the suspension, Kimmel had suggested he might soon wind down his career. In a February interview with the Los Angeles Times, he said the three-year deal he signed in 2022 ‘would likely be his last,’ then admitted with a laugh that he had made similar claims before. ‘I still have a little more than two years left on my contract, and that seems pretty good,’ he said. ‘That seems like enough
Now, with a fresh extension in place, Jimmy Kimmel Live! is set to continue well into the 2027 season.
Sources: People– Bloomberg-Los Angeles Times
