Jimmy Kimmel will not be back at the Oscars in 2025. According to reporting from Puck, Kimmel declined to return for his fifth time hosting the show in 2025, and the Academy also offered the job to John Mulaney. At the moment, the Oscars are still searching for next year’s host.
Kimmel was reportedly the first choice for the job, and it’s unclear why he turned it down. Mulaney, meanwhile, had to turn down hosting duties because of various scheduling conflicts that will keep him busy through the winter and spring.
Kimmel’s four times hosting the Oscars have included plenty of controversy, including Will Smith’s slap of Chris Rock at the 2023 ceremony and the Best Picture confusion of 2017 when La La Land was announced the winner, even though Moonlight had actually won. Kimmel also hosted the 2024 ceremony, which saw a 13% increase in viewership that made it the most-watched awards show in three years.
Now that the Academy has lost its top two choices, it’s unclear where they may turn next for hosting duties. Kimmel had become a steady presence at the awards show, serviceable but mostly unmemorable.
The calls have only been growing for John Mulaney to host the ceremony, both because of his gift for joke writing and because of his clear love for movies as an art form. In speaking with Indiewire in June of 2024, Mulaney said that he preferred to host smaller awards shows.
“I hosted the Governors Awards, and I really had fun doing that,” he said. “I will say: I’m open to whatever. I personally have an affinity for [something lower key]. It’s so fun to try to do your absolute best at not the biggest award show, like the Spirit Awards or Governors Awards. They’re just a little more relaxed and casual.”
