Jimmy Kimmel Bids His Hero David Letterman Goodbye: Reveals How His “Late Night” Hero Taught Him Everything

Jimmy Kimmel had tears in his eyes as he bid David Letterman goodbye on the eve of the latter’s retirement and reveals how the retiring host shaped his young life.

Jimmy Kimmel tried to hold back tears as he paid tribute to his idol, late night show host David Letterman on the eve of the latter’s retirement. Kimmel reminisced on his journey towards becoming a host, owing everything he has achieved to Letterman.

The 47-year-old nearly choked up as he started his speech, recalling that he wanted to be an artist as a kid and every night before going to bed he would sit on his desk and draw until it was very late. “While I was doing that, I would watch a television show that is very important to me, as you can tell. It was called ‘Late Night With David Letterman,’” he said, as quoted by E! News.

Kimmel struggled to compose himself before carrying on to commend Letterman’s show, saying that it was “totally original primarily because of the host.” Kimmel added Letterman had no pretenses and that the way he talked was so subtle that sometimes "people he was talking to didn't know he was joking."

The young host then reminisced some of his favorite Letterman moments in the last years, and eventually shared his obsession for the retiring host. He admitted to never missing a show, drawing Letterman on the cover of his textbooks, having a Letterman-themed 16th birthday party and procuring a Letterman vanity license plate when he was in high school.

Most importantly, Kimmel revealed how watching the “Late Night” show was a great education for him, along with how Letterman shaped his young life and taught him everything he had to know about hosting. He even credited the late night legend for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” saying that ABC executives only hired him for the show because they saw him on Dave’s, to which Kimmel was very grateful for.

Letterman’s last appearance on his show will air Wednesday night on CBS, coinciding with a rerun of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on ABC. Kimmel encouraged viewers to tune in to the retiring host’s show instead of his own, saying, “Dave is the best and you should see him.”

Meanwhile, other talk show hosts also paid their tribute to the highly-acclaimed Letterman, ABC News reported. Ellen DeGeneres says she was lucky to have been on David’s show and that everyone will surely miss him. Oprah Winfrey, Conan O’Brien and Larry Wilmore also left commentaries on his legacy. “Late Show” will stay on air, with Stephen Colbert replacing Letterman later this year.

Watch Jimmy Kimmel’s emotional farewell speech to David Letterman here:

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