IMPRACTICAL JOKERS Star Joe Gatto Exits Show
Joe Gatto, one of the main stars of TruTV’s Impractical Jokers has announced that he has left the show. Impractical Jokers is a hidden camera prank show that follows four comedians and lifelong friends who compete to embarrass each other. I’ve enjoyed watching the series over the years as it always offers up some great laughs. It’s sad to see that Gatto is leaving the show, but there’s an important and understandable reason behind the decision.
He’s left due to personal reasons that include the fact that he’s getting a divorce and he is looking to focus on his kids. Gatto announced his departure on Instagram after nine seasons and over 200 episodes. He said:
Sorry in advance for the long and more-serious-than-usual note below, I just wanted to let you all know that I will no longer be involved with Impractical Jokers.
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. 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.
Outside of my family, my relationships with Murr, Q and Sal have been the most important in my life. I know they will continue to make the world laugh. And even though the four of us are the ones who you all see, this show is only possible due to the hard work of the talented crew members who work behind the scenes. I am very thankful to have worked with each and every one of them.
To all of the amazing fans, thank you for allowing me to make you laugh with Jokers. They say that laughter is the best medicine, and I hope I've been able to provide some of that over the last decade. Seeing you laugh has been my own medicine, particularly in these weird and difficult times we find ourselves.
As I work through the challenges I am facing, I hope to and am excited to create new ways to entertain you.
Much love,
Joe
A statement released by Murray, Quinn, and Vulcano, reads:
"Hi everyone, so here we are… After all these years together, we never imagined making Impractical Jokers without Joe. While we are saddened to see him go, we want to keep making people laugh, keep our relationship working with the members of our team that we consider family. With the support of our fans, we'll get back to making a new chapter of Impractical Jokers in January."
In another post published on Instagram, Joe’s ex-wife Bessy Gatto shared:
"Although we will no longer be a couple, we will always be a family to our beautiful kids and we look forward to co-parenting together. We ask that you please respect our privacy as we navigate this new chapter together. And of course we will still continue to help animals and rescue dogs, which is something we are both passionate about!"
For those of you who are fans of the show, this is a total bummer. But again, it’s completely understandable as to why Joe decided to leave the show. It’ll be interesting to see how the remaining Jokers move forward from here. I imagine it will just be the three of them, but maybe they will add a surprise new fourth person to the group to replace Joe? It just feels like the whole thing is going to be off without Joe around. But, we’ll see!
I wish the all of these guys the best of luck as they move forward.