Jimmy Kimmel said retirement may be in the works for him when his contract expires in 2019, admitting that preparing for the nightly show is "a grind."
Kimmel's comments were published Tuesday in Variety as the host of "Jimmy Kimmel Live" for the past 14 years prepared to play master of ceremonies for the Academy Awards on Sunday.
"I know I will do the show for another three years," Kimmel, 49, told Variety. "It's possible that will be it. My wife's pregnant. At a certain point, I'd like to have a little more free time. I have very little free time as it is."
The self-professed "control freak," Kimmel has done "Jimmy Kimmel Live" for 14 years where he spends up to 70 hours a week putting the nightly show together, according to Variety.
"I think this job is a grind, and best-cast scenario, a marathon," Kimmel told Variety. "I want to go out on my own terms. If I ever feel like we're repeating ourselves, I think it's a good indication that it’s time. … I will miss it when I go. Television is changing quickly. I get a lot of offers to do a lot of different things."
Kimmel told People magazine that he does not plan on making anyone "uncomfortable" while hosting the Oscars.
"You have to make the audience laugh," Kimmel said, according to People. "That's the key. … Unless someone brings a gun out and forces me to sing and dance like Yosemite Sam, I probably won't. It will be a relief to all."
Many on social media appeared sad that Kimmel could depart the late night airwaves soon.
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