ENTERTAINMENTIs Bill Maher Retiring? Comedian Sets the Record Straight on What's Next for Him as Late-Night TV Faces Changes
Bill Maher insisted he has no plans to stop filming his HBO show despite the changes to the late-night landscape.
July 14 2026, Published 12:59 p.m. ET
Bill Maher confirmed he has no plans to retire from late-night television, declaring he will continue to host HBO's Real Time for as long as he can. Speaking on his "Club Random" podcast, the polarizing 70-year-old stated he intends to see his show through its current contract, which HBO renewed through 2028.
While Maher is locked in for the long haul, his decision arrives at a turbulent moment for the broader late-night TV landscape.
Maher’s choice to stay stands in sharp contrast to recent shake-ups affecting other network heavy hitters like Stephen Colbert, whose long-running show ended in May after being canceled by CBS.
Bill Maher's 'Real Time' show is contracted to stay on through 2028.
Other remaining hosts face shorter or looming horizons. Jimmy Kimmel, a frequent target of President Donald Trump, is extended through May 2027, while Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers are under contract through mid-2028.
Though he refuses to step down from the anchor desk, Maher has already begun dialing back other aspects of his decades-long career.
After more than 40 years on the circuit, Maher officially retired from touring stand-up comedy at the end of 2024 to escape the fatigue of travel.
'I've Done Everything I Wanted to Do'
Bill Maher said he has no plans to retire.
He clarified that reports of him leaving Real Time were false, stating the network would "have to drag me off of that show.”
Moving forward, Maher is prioritizing Real Time — now HBO's second-longest-running show in history — alongside his digital projects, such as the “Club Random” podcast.
“At 70, it’s different because now, I’ve done everything I ever wanted to do. So now I’m playing with the house money,” he told media mogul Byron Allen, who took over Colbert’s CBS time slot. “I mean, if it all ends tomorrow, well, you know, it was a good ride.”
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The comedian said HBO execs would have to 'drag' him off his show.
“People are basically retired at this point anyway,” he added. “But I don’t want to retire, and nobody who was my fan wants me to.”
The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor recipient said he is living his best life.
The star doesn't think his career will change unless he goes through a life change first.
“I’m not married, I don’t have kids, I still drink and smoke pot, and blah, blah, blah,” he added. “It’s like, when my life changes, maybe the show or my career will change, but until it does...”
“There is not a time I am standing right backstage before the show starts when I don’t think to myself, enjoy this, because this is kind of what you live for,” Maher said. “This is as much fun as you’re going to have with your pants on ever.”
