Jimmy Kimmel gets honest about passing on Oscar gig

Known for hosting multiple Academy Awards, Jimmy Kimmel had let go of the offer to helm next year's event, and now he explains why.

Appearing on the Politickin’ podcast, the late-night host said, “I just decided I didn’t want to deal with that this year,” he said. “It was just too much last year."

He continued, "You wind up pushing everything off till after the Oscars, and then you have to do everything you promised to do after the Oscars. I did two years [2017 and 2018], it went well. I did another two years [2023 and 2024], it went well. I figured I’d take a little break.”

Also, Jimmy said he is not good at balancing things, meaning his late-night show and preparations for Oscars hand-in-hand would be too much for him to handle.

“I’m not good at balancing. I’m really not,” he noted. “It’s not one of my strengths. I’m all in when it comes to something like the Oscars. I think about it in the morning and at night, and when I have ideas I want to work on them, and then my nightly show seems like a nuisance."

"We have all our writers from the show working on the Oscars, so it distracts them. It’s fun to do, and it feels good when it went well, but, for me, just was too much, to do it three years in a row.”