David Letterman used his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Tuesday night to try to secure one of the most obvious—yet somehow still unbooked—guests for his Netflix interview show: Jimmy Kimmel himself.
Mid-interview, Letterman pivoted to the invitation. “By the way, you should be on that show,” he told Kimmel. When Kimmel asked which show he meant, Letterman replied, “My Next Guest.” Kimmel didn’t hesitate: “Oh, I would love to be on your show.” The audience erupted in applause.
Kimmel then admitted he’s been quietly hoping for the chance for years. “Would it hurt my chances of being on the show if I told you that I sometimes lay awake at night wondering why you haven’t asked me?” he joked. Letterman responded—“Would it bother you that that was Netflix’s decision?”—a punch line that drew another big laugh. Kimmel accepted that explanation instantly: “Oh, yeah. Less, much less. Much, much less.”
Jimmy Kimmel Tuesday night, after David Letterman asked him to guest on his Netflix show: “Would it hurt my chances of being on the show if I told you that I sometimes lay awake at night wondering why you haven’t asked me?” pic.twitter.com/wWwJGcYHbW— LateNighter (@latenightercom) December 10, 2025
Earlier in the exchange, Letterman praised the show’s long-form format, pointing to his recent sit-down with Adam Sandler. “What I love about that show—you get to spend time,” he said, noting he’s known Sandler about as long as he’s known Kimmel. “It was great fun to just spend time in a context that’s different than we have spent.”
Kimmel has long described Letterman as his broadcasting hero, crediting him with inspiring his career. Letterman, in turn, has spoken highly of Kimmel—especially in the wake of his suspension in September.
The sixth season of My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman premieres next Tuesday, December 16 on Netflix. With Letterman’s show already renewed for a seventh season, chances are good that Kimmel and Letterman will be seeing each other again very soon. (And finally we’ll be able to scratch one off our My Next Guest wish list.)
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