David Letterman invites Jimmy Kimmel to join My Next Guest during live interview

David Letterman turned his guest spot on Jimmy Kimmel Live! into a booking opportunity on Tuesday night, extending an on-air invitation for Kimmel to appear on his Netflix series My Next Guest Needs No Introduction. The exchange, first reported by Vanity Fair, quickly became the highlight of the episode.

Letterman asks Kimmel to join My Next Guest

Midway through their conversation, Letterman shifted the tone with a casual but pointed suggestion: “By the way, you should be on that show,” he said.

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Kimmel, slightly puzzled, asked, “Which show?”

Letterman replied, “My Next Guest.”

Kimmel accepted instantly: “Oh, I would love to be on your show.” The audience applauded as the two hosts laughed.

Kimmel then joked that he had been waiting for the invitation. “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 teased.

Letterman deadpanned in response: “Would it bother you that that was Netflix’s decision?”

Kimmel laughed, “Oh, yeah. Less, much less. Much, much less.”

Letterman praises long-form interviews, recent Sandler episode

Earlier in the conversation, Letterman discussed the appeal of My Next Guest’s long-form structure, referencing his recent interview with Adam Sandler.

“What I love about that show is that you get to spend time,” he said, adding that he has known Sandler nearly as long as he has known Kimmel. “It was great fun to just spend time in a context that’s different than we have spent.”

Kimmel has repeatedly described Letterman as his broadcasting idol and has credited him with inspiring his career. Letterman has publicly praised Kimmel’s work as well, including after the host’s suspension earlier this year.

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New season premieres December 16

Season six of My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman premieres Tuesday, December 16, on Netflix. The series has already been renewed for a seventh season.

With Letterman’s on-air invitation now official, viewers may soon see the two late-night hosts reunite again but this time with Kimmel in the interview chair.