CNN —

When ABC executives told Jimmy Kimmel last month that his show was being pulled off the air, the late-night show's audience was seated, a guest chef had already started making food, the musical guest had performed a warm-up act, and Kimmel was in the bathroom.

"It was about 3:00; we tape our show at 4:30," Kimmel told Stephen Colbert on an episode of "The Late Show" Tuesday. "I'm in my office, typing away as I usually do. I get a phone call. It's ABC. They say they want to talk to me. This is unusual: They, as far as I knew, didn't even know I was doing a show previous to this." Advertisement

Kimmel said he had five writers in his office at the time, and the only private place where he could take the call was the bathroom.

"So I go into the bathroom, and I'm on the phone with th

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