Jimmy Kimmel goes off air 'out of deference' to Stephen Colbert's final Late Show week
Jimmy Kimmel goes off air 'out of deference' to Stephen Colbert's final Late Show week
Charl Wright, Angelica Cheyenne Wed, May 13, 2026 at 10:18 AM UTC
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Stephen Colbert with Jimmy Kimmel
Jimmy Kimmel is friends with Stephen Colbert (Image: CBS Photo Archive, CBS via Getty Images)
Jimmy Kimmel won't be delivering any viral monologues packed with Donald Trump jabs this week, as his late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! is going dark.
ABC, the network behind Jimmy Kimmel Live!, has announced that reruns will air this week, beginning Monday, May 11, as a show of respect for Stephen Colbert's final late-night broadcast. Although 58-year-old Kimmel won't be at the helm of new episodes this week, he isn't entirely absent from the late-night landscape.
This Monday, Kimmel made an appearance on Stephen Colbert's special Strike Force Five reunion episode, alongside fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and John Oliver. Jimmy Fallon also confirmed he'll be running reruns as a tribute to Colbert's final week at CBS.
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Kimmel's guest spot on the reunion show marked his last appearance on The Late Show before its curtain call, set for Thursday, May 21. Kimmel informed LateNighter that his "ABC show will not produce a new episode next Thursday out of deference to Colbert's sendoff."
It was revealed last year that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert would wrap up on May 21, after CBS was compelled to make cuts due to "financial reasons."
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Stephen Colbert and guests Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver and Seth Meyers (Image: CBS Photo Archive, CBS via Getty Images)
In a show of solidarity with Kimmel and in tribute to The Late Show's final days on air, the remaining Strike Force Five hosts will also be broadcasting reruns at the top of the week.
As a result, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night With Seth Meyers will not broadcast any new episodes, opting instead to air reruns while their hosts make appearances on The Late Show, reports the Mirror US.
Although no new episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be broadcast, ABC will air a rerun featuring Steve Carell, Mike Tyson and a musical performance from The Avett Brothers, along with Mike Patton. That episode originally aired on May 6.
Stephen Colbert (second left) and Jimmy Kimmel (third left) have been pals for years (Image: CBS Photo Archive, CBS via Getty Images)
For Tuesday's slot, the Jimmy Kimmel Live! rerun showcases country star Jelly Roll and comedian Nicole Byer, taken from the May 4 episode. Wednesday's rerun will feature Sharon Stone, Caitriona Balfe and a performance from punk rock icons Social Distortion, originally broadcast on May 7.
Thursday's lineup includes an episode with John Mulaney and actress Eiza González, which first aired on May 5. Rounding out the week on Friday is a star-studded rerun featuring Goldie Hawn, Deli Boys stars Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh, along with music legends Duran Duran and Nile Rodgers, from the April 29 broadcast.
Jimmy is scheduled to return to Los Angeles with brand-new episodes kicking off Monday, May 18, but for now, he's stepping aside to let the spotlight shine on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which is approaching its final curtain call.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
