Jimmy Kimmel's wife urges him to 'keep fighting' as he hints at retirement
Jimmy Kimmel's wife urges him to 'keep fighting' as he hints at retirement
Ayeesha WalshTue, August 25, 2026 at 8:03 AM UTC
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Jimmy Kimmel with his wife Molly McNearney -Credit:AFP via Getty Images
Jimmy Kimmel has admitted he is weighing up whether to retire from his long-running ABC late-night show.
The popular TV personality admitted he fears he could regret walking away, while his wife, Molly McNearney, wants him to carry on, saying his work is “incredibly important right now.” The 58-year-old was asked by Dax Shepard on the Armchair Expert podcast whether he worried that, after ending ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live!, he might look back and wonder why he stopped.
He said, “I know people who’ve been in that situation. It’s funny. People make a big show of like, ‘I am done and I am tired doing this,' and then they make a lesser comeback trying to do the same thing. And that’s always a bummer. And I always look at that and go, ‘Oh, is that going to be me?’” It comes as Molly explained the moment she knew Jimmy, her boss at the time, wanted to have a sexual relationship with her.
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Jimmy has hosted Jimmy Kimmel Live! since 2003, making him the longest-serving host among the current crop of American late-night presenters. His current contract runs until May 2027.
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Jimmy agreed a one-year extension with Disney, which owns ABC, in December 2025. The deal came around three months after the network suspended his show following comments he made about the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Jimmy and Molly gave an interview to Dax Shepard -Credit:AFP via Getty Images
The suspension was reversed six days later, with Disney saying it had held “thoughtful conversations” with him. The comedian also considered how his younger self would react to the idea of walking away from a job he had once been thrilled to land.
He shared, “Do you ever think to yourself, ‘How would I explain this to me at 25 years old, just giving up, just letting it go?’ I know that 25-year-old me will be like, ‘Are you crazy?’ I would have just been so excited to work at a place that had a snack table that was free.”
Jimmy's wife of 13 years, Molly, as well as the show's co-head writer and executive producer, admitted she is torn over what he should do. She said, “It definitely appeals to me for the nervous system of the household. I also feel like Jimmy has like a fly rod in one hand and like a torch in the other right now. It is like he deserves to go out there and just be on the river and relax, but I also want him to keep fighting.”
Molly admitted feeling conflicted over what Jimmy should do -Credit:AFP via Getty Images
She also admitted she feels a “sense of desire to not quit” because she believes Jimmy's work is “incredibly important right now.” She added, “And yes, I know we’re doing it in a vacuum but I think it’s giving people a feeling of their voices being heard, and I think it’s important. But as his wife, I really would like him to be able to not do this show anymore so he could relax.”
Molly then said she would be happy for the program to finish “in a great way.” Jimmy, however, made clear that retirement would not necessarily mean stepping away from work altogether. He said, “It depends on what you mean by retirement. I’m never going to stop doing things. So, it’s just a different scenario.”
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
