Jimmy Kimmel Planned to Retire Before Strike

Jimmy Kimmel is one of the top late-night television hosts… But it sounds like he isn’t planning on staying one forever. On the first episode of the new Spotify podcast Strike Force Five, Kimmel explained that he was considering retirement before the writer’s strike began. His co-hosts were quick to point out that this isn’t the first time he’s implied he’d like to be done though.

“Are you guys getting stir-crazy? Are you ready to go back to work?” Kimmel asks. “Because as you know, I was very intent on retiring right around the time where the strike started, and now I realize, like, ‘Oh yeah, it’s kinda nice to work.’ You know, when you are working, you think about not working.”

Seth Meyers interrupts him. “Come on. You are the Tom Brady of late-night hosts. You have feigned retirement…”

“I’m Tom Brady without any rings, yes, or fingers,” Kimmel responded.

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“Are we to take you at your word, that you were seriously considering this?” asked Meyers.

Kimmel went on to explain that he was “very, very serious” about retiring.

They also talked about why exactly they began the Strike Force Five show in the first place.

“The last time there was a writers’ strike, there wasn’t a lot of communication between the late-night hosts. And as a result, there was a lot of nonsense that went on, so Stephen suggested we get together and we talk through our issues and whatever we’re dealing with.”

The show will run for at least another 11 episodes. Hopefully, Kimmel comes to a decision by then. You can listen to the first Strike Force Five below: