In the December 9, 2025 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, late-night legend David Letterman made an appearance and immediately turned the studio into a storm of laughter with hilarious, candid, and utterly surprising stories. Jimmy Kimmel couldn’t hide his admiration as he introduced Letterman as “the best ever to do this job,” while announcing that season 6 of the series My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman would premiere on Netflix just one week later.

The conversation kicked off with warm moments as Kimmel expressed his love for Letterman, even comparing it to loving Chinese food more or valet parking more. Letterman responded with his signature humor, jokingly calling himself the “totally ineffective leader of the resistance,” and emphasized that in a democracy, any leader acting foolishly should expect and accept ridicule – a statement that earned thunderous applause from the audience.

Letterman shared insights into life after retiring over 10 years ago, from being mistaken for Dick Van Dyke on the street to changes in how people recognize him. He recounted in detail his hilarious experience with Waymo self-driving cars in Los Angeles: initially hating the idea of autonomous vehicles, but after being “surrounded” by a swarm of Waymos like dolphins and peering into an empty car, he shouted an excited vulgarity that had the entire studio in stitches.

One of the highlights was his “high-level” jury duty story at the Southern District of New York. Letterman had his phone and keys confiscated, had to borrow a stranger’s phone, ended up squeezing into a taxi with passengers from Atlanta, and even paid their $120 fare from the airport. The peak came when he got home without keys, ran into Jason Bateman’s Black Rabbit film crew, and convinced them to give him a cameo with the funny line “I’ll go check his pen” when the black rabbit went missing.

No late-night reunion would be complete without classic awkward hugs. Letterman admitted he’s a “bad hugger,” hugging Adam Sandler in his Netflix series like someone with a contagious disease. On stage, despite Kimmel’s suggestion, their hug remained hilariously awkward, with Letterman joking he needed to take his shirt off to do it properly, sending the audience into screams.

Letterman also talked about quitting cigars 22 years ago for his son, but recently “breaking the rule” once in London and sitting in the very chair Winston Churchill used at a famous cigar shop. He praised current late-night hosts for defending democracy and even invited Kimmel to be a guest on his series – an invitation that had Kimmel admitting he often lies awake wondering why he hasn’t been asked yet.

The entire interview was a perfect blend of nostalgia, sharp humor, and genuine late-night friendship. With season 6 of My Next Guest Needs No Introduction upcoming featuring Michael B. Jordan, MrBeast, and Jason Bateman, David Letterman proves he’s still the king of the talk show genre. This is undoubtedly one of the most memorable Jimmy Kimmel Live! episodes of 2025, packed with laughter and incredibly engaging everyday stories.