Why “Jimmy Kimmel Live” Will Be a Re-Run During Letterman's Final Show

ABC/Randy Holmes(NEW YORK) — When Late Show with David Letterman airs its final broadcast Wednesday night on CBS, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live will be a re-run.

“We have decided to put no show on the night of his show out of respect to him,” host Jimmy Kimmel explained on Tuesday’s Live with Kelly and Michael. “So we will run a re-run that night because people…should have the respect for Dave, who’s been on for 33 years, to watch his show instead of my stupid show.”

Kimmel has long had a deep admiration for Letterman. 

“When I was a kid, and this sounds like a joke, I idolized David Letterman to the point where my licence plate on my car said, L8NIGHT, because I loved David Letterman so much,” Kimmel revealed.

“My birthday cake when I was 16 years old — that’s my birthday, you can see I’m blowing out the candles on a Late Night with David Letterman birthday cake,” he added, referencing Letterman’s NBC late night program that ended in 1993, before he took the Late Show seat on CBS.

“Yeah, I mean, some would call me a stalker,” Kimmel quipped, laughing. “So I’m gonna miss Dave.”

Letterman announced his intention to retire last April. Stephen Colbert will replace Letterman as Late Show host in September.

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