Jimmy Kimmel became visibly emotional as he signed off from Jimmy Kimmel Live! for the final time in 2025, struggling to hold back tears almost from the moment he stepped into his opening monologue. On Thursday, December 18, the longtime late-night host addressed viewers with raw honesty, reflecting on what he described as an unusually difficult and deeply personal year, both on and off the screen.

As the cameras rolled, Jimmy Kimmel did not try to mask his emotions. His voice cracked early in the monologue as he acknowledged how overwhelming the year had been. He described 2025 as a strange and challenging period, marked by emotional extremes that surpassed anything he had previously experienced. Apologizing through tears, he admitted he was already crying, a moment that immediately set a somber and heartfelt tone for the rest of the broadcast.

Kimmel explained that the past year had been defined by both significant highs and devastating lows. While his show has endured ups and downs before, he emphasized that this year felt heavier than any other in his life. Speaking candidly, he shared that the emotional toll had been both personal and professional, making the support of viewers more meaningful than ever.

Addressing the audience directly, Kimmel expressed profound gratitude on behalf of everyone who works on the show. He thanked viewers not only for tuning in but for standing by the program during one of its most challenging periods. Referring to the six-day suspension the show faced in September, he said that the audience quite literally helped pull the show “out of a hole.” When Jimmy Kimmel Live! returned to the air and experienced a surge in ratings, Kimmel said it felt like a lifeline. He emphasized that this support meant everything to the team, both personally and professionally, and that words could not fully capture their appreciation.

During the monologue, Kimmel broadened his reflection to include the role of late-night television in uncertain times. He spoke about conversations he has had with viewers who tell him that watching his show — along with other late-night programs hosted by his friends and colleagues — helps them feel less isolated and less overwhelmed by the world. Hearing that his work offers comfort to others, he said, has the same effect on him. In his view, that shared sense of connection and reassurance is one of the most important aspects of what late-night television can offer during turbulent periods.

Kimmel also addressed international viewers, acknowledging that many people outside the United States are watching the country closely. He assured them that many Americans are deeply troubled by what is happening domestically and that not everyone is comfortable with the current climate. Despite the chaos, he emphasized his belief that there is still far more good than bad in the country. With a mix of sincerity and dark humor, he asked viewers to bear with the U.S. during what he described as an “extended psychotic episode,” a line that drew both laughter and applause from the studio audience.

The challenges Kimmel faced this year were not limited to the professional controversies surrounding his show. He also endured a devastating personal loss with the death of his childhood friend and longtime bandleader, Cleto Escobedo, who passed away in November at the age of 59. Escobedo had been a fixture on Jimmy Kimmel Live! since its early days, and his bond with Kimmel extended far beyond the studio.

In an emotional Instagram post shared on November 11, Kimmel announced the news of Escobedo’s passing, writing that the two had been inseparable since Kimmel was nine years old. He described their lifelong friendship as something incredibly rare and meaningful, adding that working together every day was a dream neither of them could have imagined becoming reality. Kimmel later paid tribute to Escobedo during the show, calling it the hardest monologue he had ever had to deliver. That night, his grief was unmistakable as he honored a friend who had been part of nearly every chapter of his life.

Earlier in the year, Jimmy Kimmel Live! also found itself at the center of controversy following comments Kimmel made related to the death of Charlie Kirk. The fallout contributed to the show’s brief suspension and sparked heated debate across social and political media. While the show eventually rebounded, the incident added to what Kimmel described as an already exhausting year.

Compounding the pressure, Kimmel has been the target of repeated public attacks from Donald Trump in recent months. Trump, now 79, has frequently criticized Kimmel and has repeatedly called for Jimmy Kimmel Live! to be taken “off the air.” Rather than responding with anger, Kimmel has often chosen humor as his defense, using Trump’s comments as material for jokes on the show.

During a November episode, Kimmel addressed one of Trump’s posts with sarcasm, joking that the former president’s attention was actually helping boost the show’s ratings. He quipped that Trump watches the show live and even thanked him for choosing television over YouTube. In a moment that blended comedy with pointed commentary, Kimmel remarked that viewers like Trump were ironically helping keep the show on the air.

Despite the mounting challenges, there has also been positive news for Kimmel and his team. Earlier this month, he signed a one-year contract extension with ABC, confirming that Jimmy Kimmel Live!* will return for the 2026–2027 season. The renewal provided a sense of stability and reassurance after a year marked by uncertainty and loss.

As he closed out the final show of 2025, Kimmel’s tears underscored the emotional weight of everything he and his team had endured. His message to viewers was not one of defeat, but of gratitude and resilience. Through laughter, controversy, grief, and support, Kimmel emphasized that the bond between the show and its audience had never felt stronger.

The moment served as a reminder that behind the desk and the jokes is a person who feels deeply and carries the same anxieties and heartbreaks as the people watching at home. As Jimmy Kimmel Live! prepares to return in the new year, Kimmel’s emotional farewell captured both the pain of a difficult chapter and the hope that comes with moving forward together.