Jimmy Kimmel thinks he is on his "final contract" for his talk show.

The 56-year-old star has been hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live! since January 2003 and, though he's considered walking away in the past before changing his mind, he's resigned to the fact the two years he has left on his current deal are likely to count down to the end of the show.

He told the Los Angeles Times newspaper: "I think this is my final contract. I hate to even say it, because everyone's laughing at me now — each time I think that, and then it turns out to be not the case. I still have a little more than two years left on my contract, and that seems pretty good. That seems like enough."

Jimmy — who is set to host the Oscars for a fourth time next month — admitted he always "misses" the show when he has a lengthy break.

He said: "It's hard to yearn for it when you're doing it. Wednesday night, I was very tired and I had all these scripts to go through — I had to revise and rewrite all these pitch ideas for the Oscars — and I was literally nodding off onto my computer.

"In those moments, I think, 'I cannot wait until my contract is over.' But then, I take the summer off or I go on strike, and you start going, 'Yeah, I miss the fun stuff'."

The comic admitted he's amazed he's been doing the show for so long.

He said: "I still feel like the altar boy who is goofing on the priest.

"I think that most people always think of themselves the way they have always thought of themselves. I'm as surprised as anyone could be in this position — even to have a really good job is a surprise to me."