Jimmy Kimmel has announced that he will be taking the entirety of this summer off so that he can spend more time with his family.
Kimmel has been hosting ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” for 18 years.
The host announced his decision on the Thursday broadcast of his show, saying that this will be final show for this year’s summer – the host is expected to return later this year in time for the Emmys.
Kimmel clarified that he was not taking time off for any health or career related issue. He explained how he had already hosted more than 3,000 shows and that both he and his family are healthy and doing well.
Initially, fans of the late-night talkshow worried that the departure may have to do with the health of Kimmel’s baby son who was born with a weak heart. The host left the show for a time back in 2017 when his son had to go through multiple open-heart surgeries.
In 2017, a number of celebrities took over for Kimmel as he kept by his family’s side. From familiar comedians like Melissa McCarthy to more unconventional hosts like Shaquille O’Neal, the show was kept on air despite the brief departure of the main host.
ABC and Kimmel himself explained that this is how the network plans to keep the show going as the host takes this summer off. Although neither gave specific names, ABC said that “a cavalcade of very kind and capable people will be filling in” for Kimmel this summer.
In what has become a familiar trope for his show, Kimmel was accompanied by his faux-rival and real-life friend Matt Damon as he made this announcement. Their fake rivalry has been one of the more recognizable aspects of Kimmel’s show, going back a decade.
Kimmel is expected to be back on air around the Emmys which is scheduled to take place in September. It was previously announced that Kimmel would both host and produce this years award ceremony.
Starting next week, reruns of previous shows will be broadcasted for two weeks. It is expected that ABC will invite and announce the guest hosts during this time, before they start taking over until September.
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Replaced!