The Academy Awards is currently in need of a new host, as the most recent star to take on the gig, Jimmy Kimmel, isn't returning. Earlier this year, Kimmel formally turned down ABC’s offer to oversee the glitzy Hollywood event for a fifth time. It’s an honor to be asked to take on that job, with great Oscars hosts being legends like Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg and Ellen DeGeneres. However, Kimmel had several reasons for opting not to take on the gig again and, admittedly, they're good.
Jimmy Kimmel was just a guest on the Politickin' podcast, which is hosted by California Governor Gavin Newsom, former NFL player Marshawn Lynch and sports agent Doug Hendrickson. The trio sat down with Kimmel to discuss a wide range of topics and, eventually his Oscars hosting stints came up. While he acknowledged the success he had with the telecasts, Kimmel explained how those commitments infringed on his talk show work:
It’s hard. It’s a lot of work, and the show suffers a little bit, to be honest – your nightly show – because when I’m focused on the Oscars, I’m less focused on the show. And I just decided I didn’t want to deal with that this year. It was just too much last year. You wind up pushing off everything until after the Oscars, and then you have to do everything you promised to do after the Oscars after the Oscars.
The funnyman has been hosting his nightly talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! since 2003, which makes him currently the longest running late night host currently on air. Given the sentiments above, one can definitely understand why Kimmel wouldn't want to commit to another Academy Awards ceremony. After all, his eponymous talk show is his day job, and he wouldn't want his responsibilities to it to fall by the wayside.
So, while the 56-year-old comic isn't hosting the event in 2025, some are probably still wondering if he'd ever return to do it again. Well, another comment he shared on the podcast might give us an indication:
Also, I did two years, [it] went well, I did another two years, it went well. I figured I’d take a little break.
So, based on that "break" sentiment, he may not be done for good. Throughout his four times hosting in 2017, 2018, 2023 and 2024, the late-night veteran proved to be a strong fit for the Oscars job. He was very reliable, delivering consistently strong monologues and helping to keep the show moving at a solid pace. The host also saw a lot during his tenure, including the infamous moment when La La Land was mistakenly announced as the Best Picture instead of Moonlight in 2017.
With the Man Show alum declining the offer to host again, many awards show junkies are surely waiting with bated breath to find out who will take up the mantle. Reportedly, John Mulaney was offered the job, but he also declined despite the Kid Gorgeous comedian being an excellent choice.
Personally, I’d love to see Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez take on the challenge, as I think they'd bring a great balance to the event. No matter who's hired, though, Jimmy Kimmel deserves props for establishing quite a legacy and knowing when and why to hang it up.
Though we'll have to wait and see who takes over for Jimmy Kimmel, what's known is that the 97th Academy Awards will air on ABC on March 2nd, 2025. Meanwhile, fans can still see the comedian hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live! weeknights on ABC, with past episodes of the late-night show available to stream with a Hulu subscription.
