Jimmy Kimmel Was 'Very Serious' About Retiring Before Strike

Jimmy Kimmel said he was very, very serious about retiring from his gig as ABCs late-night host before Hollywood writers began their strike in May.

In the first episode of the Strike Force Five podcast featuring Kimmel and his fellow late night hosts, he asked the panel whether they were getting stir-crazy and ready to get back to work before revealing that he had considered hanging up his hat.

I was very intent on retiring right around the time where the strike started, and now I realize like, Oh yeah, its kinda nice to work, he said. You know, when you are working, you think about not working.

Seth Meyers cut in on Kimmels remarks to refer to him as the Tom Brady of late night hosts before asking whether people should take his word for it.

Kimmel replied that he was very, very serious about retirement.

I enjoy getting summers off. I enjoy the fact that you dont get them even more, makes them all the sweeter. ... But I like getting the summer off better when Im getting paid to get the summer off, Kimmel said.

The host has alluded to retirement in the past, noting to Variety in 2017 that his contract was set to expire three years later and hed like to go out on his own terms . He later quipped about retirement rumors on Ellen.

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