TWENTY years ago, Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show premiered on ABC and brought his fame to another level.
However, viewers wondered if the Emmy Award winner was actually fired after a skit with his co-host Guillermo went viral.
Was Jimmy Kimmel fired on live TV by ABC?
Jimmy Kimmel wasn’t fired from his late-night hosting gig. But fans speculated that he was after one of his show’s sketches went viral.
On April 24, 2023, Jimmy included CNN’s termination of Don Lemon in his opening monologue.
A breaking news bulletin then appeared where Jimmy’s co-host Guillermo jokingly announced that the comedian had been fired from his home network.
“This was a mutual decision. We want to say thank you to Jimmy Kimmel and his many, many contributions and wish him well in the future.
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“On a personal note, I’d like to say to Jimmy; don’t let the door hit your a** on the way out, loser!”
Jimmy then mockingly reacted, “Wow, that’s one hell of a way to find out.”
“It could’ve been worse, I could’ve been traded to the Jets!”
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How did fans react?
An uncontextualized clip of the skit made its rounds on social media and earned mixed reactions from Jimmy Kimmel Live! fans.
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On Twitter, one viewer questioned, “Is the rumor true about Jimmy Kimmel being fired from ABC?”
Another curious viewer asked, “Wait is Jimmy Kimmel getting fired forreal??? or apart of his skit/monologue?”
“Can someone please verify if the story about Jimmy Kimmel being fired is true or false?” pleaded a third fan.
In a February 20, 2024, interview with the Los Angeles Times, Kimmel hinted that his tenure as a talk show host might be ending.
He said, “I think this is my final contract,” after explaining how he was juggling his late-night gig with his upcoming Oscars hosting duties.
“In those moments, I think, ‘I cannot wait until my contract is over,'” he went on.
“But then, I take the summer off or I go on strike, and you start going, ‘Yeah, I miss the fun stuff.'”
Kimmel still has over two years left in his contract, which he described as, “Pretty good. That seems like enough.”
Neither ABC nor Kimmel has confirmed if he will in fact exit the long-running show at the end of his contract.
How can I watch Jimmy Kimmel Live?
Every Monday to Friday, Jimmy Kimmel Live! is broadcast daily at 11:35 pm EST via ABC.
The show premiered on January 26, 2003, and was recognized as the network’s longest-running late-night talk show.