Overview
- Kimmel announced on his June 18 monologue that he will voluntarily step away for two months and that a rotating roster of guest hosts will produce new episodes during his absence.
- The named fill-ins include Tiffany Haddish, Colman Domingo, Ike Barinholtz, Anthony Anderson, Jelly Roll, and Rosie O’Donnell with Haddish confirmed for the week of July 6 and O’Donnell slated to guest-host the week beginning August 17.
- ABC has released only limited scheduling details so far and Kimmel is scheduled to return the day after Labor Day, leaving the full summer runout subject to further network announcements.
- Kimmel’s break and the guest choices revive context from his September 2025 suspension after comments about Charlie Kirk’s death and ongoing public pressure from President Donald Trump and FCC scrutiny.
- The plan reflects ABC’s short-term contract approach and a desire to balance steady weekday programming with reduced reputational exposure, a dynamic that could shape late-night staffing and booking decisions going forward.