On his Club Random podcast, Bill Maher, known for his incisive wit and unapologetic humour, expressed his intention to retire from stand-up comedy following his upcoming HBO special.

This announcement surprised his guest Jerry Seinfeld, who was visibly taken aback by Maher’s unexpected disclosure.

Maher, who has been a staple in the stand-up comedy scene for over four decades, shared: “After this year, I’m going to stop doing [stand-up],”

Despite the weight of the news, Maher insisted on downplaying the drama, stating, “I don’t want to make a big announcement or something.” His decision to step away from the microphone coincides with the release of his 13th comedy special on HBO.

Seinfeld, himself a comedy legend, acknowledged the magnitude of Maher’s contribution to the art form, simply responding, “That’s a lot.”

Maher maybe not ready to quit, he keeps the door open

Maher reflected on the dedication required to excel in stand-up, saying “I put a lot of time and effort into it,” and added, “As you know, stand-up is like playing the cello. You can’t just walk up there. You have to stay in practice. And I do, I’ve always loved it. I’m always working on it. But I have a [television] show.”

Since 2003, Maher has balanced his stand-up career with hosting duties on his weekly talk show, Real Time with Bill Maher.

Curious Seinfeld questioned Maher, “I don’t know how you kept [performing stand-up] during the show, or frankly, why”

“Because they fed each other, it was so great, and also because I love it,” the comedy icon responded.

“I can be the loosest—the show’s great, but there’s constrictors there, [Club Random] is looser, but what’s looser than just, you people paying to see me. Even if you don’t like it, you kind of have to laugh.”

However, Maher left the door open for a potential return to the stage.

“After 40 years, that’s why I don’t want to make an announcement like, ‘This is my final [act],” he said.

“I might change my mind. It might be like cutting off a limb, and I have to go back to it,” Maher mused.

Looking ahead, “If I don’t have to practice the cello eight hours a day, I might want to do some [Club Random episodes] live,” he suggested, and added, “That’s kind of an interesting option that people do nowadays. It’s kind of an event.”

For now fans of Club Random can continue to enjoy new episodes every Monday.

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