Jimmy Kimmel was reportedly ready to retire when his contract ended in 2027. However, the last 12 months or so have reportedly lit a fire within the host as the tense undercurrent continues between the administration and late night, and the ABC host has landed himself squarely in the middle of the brouhaha. Between his suspension, his staunch championing of The Late Show before it wrapped and a whole slew of things going on politically, it’s been an absolutely insane year. Naturally, someone decided to ask Kimmel about it.

In a “lightning round” of questions, Kimmel was asked what he’ll remember most about the last 12 months. September of 2025 was when his suspension came down the pipeline, and that’s the moment the late night host highlighted when THR recently asked him about what he’ll “remember most” from this whirlwind year.

No question that what I will remember most is the reaction to our unscheduled vacation [after Kirk], which went so far beyond what I ever could have expected. I’ll never forget the support from friends, strangers and even those who generally make me throw up.

It’s typical for Kimmel to be both funny and very serious at the same time. The push and pull coming from within the late night sphere can not be understated, however. The late night host was forced to take a break from his ABC series in the fall of 2025, and the last twelve months have been a whirlwind. His parent network has been at continual odds with the FCC. Kimmel himself has been a voice defending late night, even calling CBS’ cancelation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert a move that felt akin to late night “being poisoned.”

Meanwhile, however, despite the doom and gloom surrounding the TV genre, stuff is going pretty well for Jimmy Kimmel on the 2026 TV schedule. Live! got an Outstanding Variety Program nod when the 2026 Emmy nominations came down the pipeline.. He’s really enthusiastic about his other series Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. Right now, his salary is still in the tens of millions range, so he’s bringing home the bacon.

Now, he’s currently in the middle of a long, scheduled break on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, so he should be rested up for the 2026-2027 schedule ahead. Meanwhile, Anthony Anderson, Tiffany Haddish and others have been filling in for the late night host.

In short, things are going well, or as well as they can go in a landscape when advertising rates are down and President Donald Trump gleefully tweets about late night’s potential downfall. We’ll have to wait and see what 2027 brings to the late night landscape as a whole, but it sounds as if this one will always be a year to remember for Kimmel.

Jessica Rawden is Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. She’s been kicking out news stories since 2007 and joined the full-time staff in 2014. She oversees news content, hiring and training for the site, and her areas of expertise include theme parks, rom-coms, Hallmark (particularly Christmas movie season), reality TV, celebrity interviews and primetime. She loves a good animated movie. Jessica has a Masters in Library Science degree from Indiana University, and used to be found behind a reference desk most definitely not shushing people. She now uses those skills in researching and tracking down information in very different ways.