Bill Maher is not going anywhere from Real Time.

During a recent interview with CNN, comedian and political expert addressed the swirling rumors about his retirement from his long-running HBO show, Real Time with Bill Maher.

At 68, Maher made it clear that his departure is not happening, and any decision to leave would not be voluntary.

“I don’t know where this started about I’m getting rid of Real Time,” Maher said to CNN anchor Jake Tapper on Friday, Jan. 10. “They’re going to have to drag me off of that show.”

Maher, who has been hosting Real Time since 2003, is gearing up for the show’s 23rd season, which premieres on Friday, Jan. 17. 

His comments came in response to speculation fueled by his previous remarks on the December 2024 episode of his Club Random podcast, where he mentioned to guest Jane Fonda that he “may quit” Real Time. 

The suggestion stemmed from his reluctance to focus on another presidential term under Donald Trump.

“I may quit because I don’t want to do another. I did Trump,” Maher said to Fonda.

“I did all the Trump stuff before anybody. I called him a con man before anybody. I did. He’s a mafia boss. I was the one who said he wasn’t going to concede the election. I’ve done it.”

When Tapper revisited these comments, Maher swiftly interjected to clarify his stance. 

“No,” he said, denying any plans to quit the HBO show. He explained his earlier remarks as frustration about potentially having to revisit Trump-centric content.

Maher did, however, confirm his decision to step back from his stand-up comedy routine after four decades. 

“I am stopping doing stand-up, just because I’m tired of touring, just because I’ve been doing it for 40 years,” he explained, noting the demands of the craft. “You can’t do it a little bit. Stand-up is like being a boxer. You have to be in training.”

Despite his love for stand-up, Maher expressed the need for a break, particularly from the grueling travel and workload that comes with balancing stand-up and Real Time. 

He emphasized that his exit from stand-up does not equate to leaving his television career behind.

Clarifying his podcast comments further, Maher reiterated, “What I was saying was that I didn’t want to do another Trump term… because I’ve already done all the jokes about Donald Trump.” Still, he acknowledged that a Trump presidency would inevitably provide new material.

Ultimately, Maher expressed his hope for fresh political narratives in America’s future. “I was hoping for some new characters,” he concluded, hinting at his desire for a shift in the political landscape that could inspire new comedic content.