Joe’s departure from Impractical Jokers left a hole in the classic lineup and had fans wondering what happened to him. The hidden camera reality show follows the members of The Tenderloins, a comedy troupe that challenges each other to put themselves in embarrassing situations for the amusement of others. An immediate smash hit on TruTV, the series has blossomed into a bona fide franchise with spinoffs like Inside Jokes and even a feature-length film. A big part of the show’s success is the likability of its cast, and they have anchored the program for over a decade.
Unlike previous hidden camera reality shows, the comedy of the main troupe takes center stage, and they are the butt of the joke as opposed to unsuspecting people on the street. While there are still fake things about Impractical Jokers, their unique brand of cringe-inducing humor provides a cathartic release for viewers just looking for a laugh. Despite years of massive success, original member Joe Gatto departed the show in 2021, and his absence has been felt even as the show chugs on without him.
Joe Left Impractical Jokers To Be With His Family After His Separation
Joe Mentioned In An Instagram Post That He Will Focus On Being The Best Father He Can
Though Impractical Jokers is all about fun and games, unfortunately, real life tends to get in the way, and Joe left the show to be with his family in 2021. As he mentioned in a lengthy Instagram post, Joe departed the series in the wake of his amicable separation from his wife Bessy. The massive success of Impractical Jokers put a strain on the personal lives of all the performers, and Joe made it clear where his priorities were. The couple has several children together, and Joe stated:
I need to focus on being the best father and co-parent to our two incredible kids.
Joe Reconciled With His Wife (But Is Still Not Confirmed To Appear On Impractical Jokers)
A Myriad Of Celebrity Guests Have Taken Joe’s Place
Fortunately for the entire Gatto clan, Joe and his wife Bessy were able to reconcile their marriage, and according to Hollywood Life, celebrated their 10-year wedding anniversary in September 2023. Of their lengthy relationship, Bessy Gatto said:
I think of all the changes we have gone through, good and bad. At the end, I would not change a single thing.
This echoed the sentiment of her famous husband. Joe Gatto has continued to perform while away from Impractical Jokers, and he appears for stand-up sets and hosts the Two Cool Moms podcast with Steve Byrne.
Despite the joyous news regarding Joe’s marriage reconciliation, Gatto has not expressed any plans to rejoin his former Tenderloin teammates any time soon. The show has continued without him as myriad celebrity guests have taken his place, and it seems as if Gatto has been able to pivot his success from the series into a show business career more akin to his family-oriented lifestyle. It can be assumed that Joe has not changed his mind about being there for his kids, and it is likely that he won’t return on to Impractic Jokers on a full-time basis.
How Impractical Jokers Has Handled Joe’s Absence
The Show Brings In Guest Stars Instead Of A New Fourth Host
The best way for Impractical Jokers to honor Joe Gatto is to not replace him at all, which is exactly what they did. This is really a good idea because the biggest selling point for the series was the chemistry and relationship between The Tenderloins. Bringing in someone new and having them try to replicate what they had with Joe would fail, no matter how funny the replacement was. What the hosts did makes so much more sense. Rather than have someone replace Joe, which is impossible, they now use a rotating group of guest stars.
Impractical Jokers had already brought on guests in the past. Having someone who is a fan of the show trying to play along was always fun, and having The Tenderloins choose not just to replace Joe with a permanent cast member helped keep the show funny and fresh. It also hardly changed anything about the series except Joe’s absence. Since Joe left, guests like Eric Andre, Brett Michaels, David Cross, Method Man, Chris Jericho, and more have livened things up. Many fans are not sold, but it helped Impractical Jokers carry on.
What Joe Has Said About Impractical Jokers Since Leaving
Joe Hasn’t Watched The Show Since Leaving
Joe Gatto recently commented on his departure from Impractical Jokers and his subsequent actions. He appeared on The Bobby Bones Show in October 2024 and made some surprising comments about his relationship with his former co-stars and friends from the comedy show. While he said that he remains good friends with everyone on the show, Joe said he hasn’t watched an episode of the show since he left it. However, there is a twist. Despite starring on it, Joe never watched Impractical Jokers (via PEOPLE).
“Do I watch the show? No. I try to be consistent and never watched. That’s actually true. I never watched it on TV. I always watched the edits of the show because I worked on the edits. When I wasn’t editing it anymore, I didn’t have to watch it as much.
“I’m still best friends with those guys. Our friendship started way before the show, and we’ll continue way after the show. We’re just not friends from work anymore.”
While Joe has made a clean break from Impractical Jokers, he is still interested in his comedy career. His comedy special Messing with People is available to stream on YouTube, and it even opens with him heading onto the stage and hugging his kids on the way out. It seems like he is where he wants to be now that he is on his own, even if that isn’t something Impractical Jokers fans might have wanted to see.