Former ‘Impractical Jokers’ Star Joe Gatto Reveals Whether He’ll Return to Prank Show
It doesn’t sound like Joe Gatto is joking when he says he won’t be returning to Impractical Jokers, the hidden-camera prank show now airing its 11th season on TBS.
“I am not going to guest on my own show. It does not feel right, and I cannot commit to coming back to it,” Gatto told TheWrap in a recent interview. “I’ve moved on from the show, the show has moved on from me. I am so removed from it. We are still friends, just not friends from work anymore. But I am so out of that mindset.”
Gatto said he “told all the jokes” he wanted to tell as he filmed 300 episodes during his decade-long stint on Impractical Jokers. But the comedian is open to some sort of participation in the show’s final installment, whenever that comes.
“I would of course love to close it in a fun way,” he said. “We talked about that a little bit. I would say it is definitely not the end of me collaborating with those guys. We have been doing it for decades before that, and we will be doing it for decades after. We work on little side things here and there together. I love working with them. So who knows?”
Gatto announced the end of his Impractical Jokers involvement in December 2021, telling Instagram followers that he was stepping away from the show as he was separating from his wife, Bessy.
“Alongside my friends, I’ve devoted a decade of my life to building this franchise and couldn’t be prouder of what has been accomplished,” he wrote in that post. “However, due to some issues in my personal life, I have to step away. Bessy and I have decided to amicably part ways, so now I need to focus on being the best father and co-parent to our two incredible kids.”
In a September 2023 follow-up on Instagram, however, Gatto told fans that he and his wife had reconciled through “compassion, forgiveness and an open heart.”
Impractical Jokers, Thursdays, 10/9c, TBS
From TV Guide Magazine
What to Expect From 'The Hunting Party's Love Triangle and Mystery
Manifest alum Melissa Roxburgh and the showrunner of NBC’s Hunting Party tease TV Guide Magazine about what’s ahead for the “government conspiracy that just keeps unfolding” — plus, the series’ “good” love triangle. Read the story now on TV Insider.
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services