Jimmy Kimmel Live! fans were left disappointed on Thursday night when the late-night show was unexpectedly cancelled. Now, ABC is providing an explanation for why Jimmy Kimmel never made it on air.
ABC revealed that the Thursday, Nov. 6 episode was postponed due to a "personal matter" involving Kimmel. Audience members set to attend the taping in Los Angeles were also notified and promised tickets to a future taping. The network aired the Tuesday, Oct. 28 episode in its place, which featured Tessa Thompson, Daymond John, and the Beths.
Fans tuned in expected to see appearances by Malice actor David Duchovny, Stranger Things actor Joe Keery, and musical guest Madison Beer. For her part, Beer posted to social media to tell fans "Due to unforeseen circumstances, Jimmy Kimmel Live! needed to reschedule my performance that was originally set to air tonight to a later date. I’ll share more details on timing when I can, I can’t wait for you all to see it.”
By Friday afternoon, Kimmel had not directly addressed what kept him from Thursday's show. His Instagram account promoted his appearance on the We Can Do Hard Things podcast alongside wife Molly McNearney. And the show's official Instagram account shared donations made to Kimmel's "Big, Beautiful Food Bank" helping those affected by suspended SNAP benefits.
This isn't the first time Jimmy Kimmel Live! has been unexpectedly cancelled
Thanks to recent events, anytime Jimmy Kimmel Live! isn't on the air, people start asking questions. We're not far removed from ABC shocking the entertainment industry by suspending Kimmel over his comments about Charlie Kirk. Thankfully, Thursday's episode doesn't seem to be affected by anything Kimmel said on air or any ensuing controversy surrounding the late-night host.
It's also not the first time this year Kimmel has chosen to cancel a taping at the last minute. In May, Kimmel backed out of a new episode for another personal matter: the birth of his grandchild. He revealed that his eldest daughter, Katie, gave birth to a daughter. Kimmel chose to be with his family rather than in studio for the occasion.
It's best not to speculate about what could have kept Kimmel from taping a show this time around. But in any case, late-night TV fans should breath a sigh of relief that it doesn't seem to be anything as serious as ABC putting a permanent end to Kimmel's show.
As of now, a new episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! remains on the schedule for Monday, Nov. 10. We may have to wait until then to get a full explanation of why Kimmel had to cut his week short.