Starting on Monday night, late-night TV will lose another prominent voice as Jimmy Kimmel steps away from his ABC show. But thankfully, the disruption at Jimmy Kimmel Live! won't be a permanent one. Instead, it's something fans should have seen coming.
Late-night TV feels like it is only just now getting over the departure of Stephen Colbert and The Late Show on CBS. And despite still being under contract and a network in his corner against the FCC, Kimmel doesn't feel like he's a guarantee to stay on the air long-term.
Unfortunately, fans will get a sense of what a post-Kimmel and Colbert late-night world looks like beginning Monday, June 22. ABC plans to air a week of repeat episodes, which will then lead into Kimmel's annual two-month summer hiatus. The comedian signed off on June 18, acknowledging the break was scheduled as part of a deal he worked out with ABC years ago.
Kimmel hasn't been on the air during the summer months dating back to 2020. He usually returns just after Labor Day, giving fans an idea of when to expect his return to the air waves. At least this time, it's a voluntary departure and not one mandated by the network or pushed by broadcasters.
The silver lining, of course, is that Jimmy Kimmel Live! won't be taking the summer off. As has been the tradition, a roster of celebrities will fill-in for Kimmel during his much-deserved break away from late-night TV.
It all starts on July 6 when Tiffany Haddish gets behind the desk for a week of hosting duties. The comedian and actress has done it before. And it's fitting, as one of Haddish's breakout moments came when she delivered an all-time story as a guest on Kimmel's show years ago.
Other announced guest hosts include Colman Domingo, Ike Barinholtz, Anthony Anderson, and Jelly Roll. Last week, Kimmel also revealed that he asked Rosie O'Donnell to host the show in his absence. The invitation also came as another way for Kimmel to get under the skin of President Donald Trump, who has a longstanding feud with O'Donnell.
During the two weeks of repeats, late-night TV fans will have to rely on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers to get their nightly comedy fix. And while those two hosts are more than capable of carrying the extra load, it could reopen the wound of Colbert's departure.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs at 11:35 p.m. ET on ABC. Episodes stream the next day on Hulu.
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