"That seems like enough.": Jimmy Kimmel reveals he might not renew contract for his late night show

21 years after first coming on air, late-night TV show host Jimmy Kimmel has hinted at the end of Jimmy Kimmel Live, saying that while he still has a little more than two years left on his contract,

"That seems like enough."

Jimmy Kimmel Live premiered in January 2003, headed by a fresh-faced newbie. Now, 21 years later, Jimmy Kimmel has been a late-night talk show presenter for longer than any other host presently on the air, and he's apparently looking ahead to his future and thinking of a life beyond the late-night show.

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Jimmy Kimmel reflects on a life beyond the talk show

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, the writer and comedian sat down to discuss his process for preparing for hosting the Oscars. Kimmel also took the opportunity to reflect on his success, both as a household name and as a TV show host. He admitted,

“I still feel like the altar boy who is goofing on the priest. I think that most people always think of themselves the way they have always thought of themselves. I’m as surprised as anyone could be in this position—even to have a really good job is a surprise to me.”

He talked about the exhaustion that comes with being a host for both Jimmy Kimmel Live and the Oscars and the repeated revision and rewriting required for both. He admitted to looking forward to when his contract will be over, although he followed it up by clarifying that these thoughts only last until he takes a break.

“But then, I take the summer off or I go on strike, and you start going, 'Yeah, I miss the fun stuff.'"

The part that fueled the retirement rumors the most, though, has to be when he said,

"I think this is my final contract."

Kimmel said he still has “a little more than two years left on my contract, and that seems pretty good. That seems like enough.” He also took a moment to explore life after Jimmy Kimmel Live. While he does not know exactly what it would look like, he is fairly convinced that his many personal hobbies would keep him well-occupied. He said,

"I have a lot of hobbies: I love to cook, I love to draw, I imagine myself learning to do sculptures. I know that when I die, if I’m fortunate enough to die on my own terms in my own bed, I'm going to think, 'Oh, I was never able to get to this, and I was never able to get to that.' I just know it about myself."

Another confession that surprised readers was that, despite being a hit talk show host for over twenty years and hosting the Oscars multiple times, Jimmy Kimmel is apparently not a big fan of being the center of attention. And he is certain that his post-retirement plan will not involve any stand-up comedy. He said,

"I never had an urge to be the center of attention, and I still don’t. It’s not in my DNA. I won't be doing stand-up after I stop doing the [talk] show -- I am uncomfortable with it.”

Incidentally, this is not the first time Jimmy Kimmel has spoken about retirement. In an episode of his podcast Strike Force Five, which was started during the recent WGA and SAG strikes, he admitted to toying with the idea of hanging up his hosting mic. In a conversation with the co-hosts, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, and Seth Meyers, he said,

"As you know, I was very intent on retiring right around the time where the strike started. And now I realize, 'Oh yeah, it's kinda nice to work.' When you are working, you think about not working."

Seth Meyers had chimed in, dubbing Kimmel the "Tom Brady of late-night" because he kept considering retiring but never went through with it.

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After the latest interview, however, it appears that Kimmel is all set with retiring, or will be once the contract is over.