EXCLUSIVE: Jimmy Kimmel 'Plotting to Spin Wheel By Dumping Late Night Gabfests' to Become 'Game Show King'
Jimmy Kimmel has been planning a shift away from late-night to focus on becoming a game show host.
May 8 2026, Published 6:30 a.m. ET
Professional gabber Jimmy Kimmel has big plans for his life after late-night TV, with sources telling RadarOnline.com the host is dead set on becoming the undisputed king of the game show circuit.
According to insiders, the 58-year-old can't stop bragging about how he's going to be the next Merv Griffin – aka the mastermind behind enduring classics like Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune.
Jimmy's Big Plans
Jimmy Kimmel is allegedly developing new game show projects at ABC as he looks beyond 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'
"As he looks at the declining and contracting talk show world, Jimmy is preparing for what's next," shared an insider.
"With the right idea, game shows can be very cheap to produce, and Jimmy also sees these projects as potentially employing a lot of his family members and longtime staffers should Jimmy Kimmel Live! end its run in the next few years."
While his namesake series has been renewed through May 2027, the ABC employee was temporarily taken off the air last fall after comments he made about late political activist Charlie Kirk drew ire from President Donald Trump and others.
"His talk show is important to him, but Jimmy is now out to prove to his bosses that he can be useful in many other ways beyond just hosting," said the insider. "He's been helping to create interesting shows and unique formats for going on 30 years."
Pitching ABC Ideas
ABC host Kimmel allegedly sees 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' as part of his growing push into the game show business.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Crank Yankers and The Man Show are examples of "his eye for innovative, outside-the-box ideas," the insider said. "They're hard to imitate."
Just last year, the Win Ben Stein's Money alum took home the Emmy for Outstanding Host for a Game Show, thanks to his gig helming Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
"Jimmy's production company, Kimmelot, already helps to produce Millionaire, but it's also testing and developing a whole range of new game show ideas," dished the insider.
"They're always pitching stuff at ABC."
