Why did Joe Gatto leave «Impractical Jokers»? The story of his departure from the popular show
23 march 2025 в 21:37
Joe Gatto was one of the main four members of the show «Impractical Jokers» for nine seasons. 48-year-old Joe and the other members of the comedy collective The Tenderloins launched the improvisation-based reality show in December 2011. But Joe shocked fans when he announced his departure from the show halfway through season 9 in December 2021. Joe achieved incredible success on the show alongside James Murray, Brian Quinn, and Sal Vulcano, but he still decided to leave due to «issues» in his personal life.
So why did Joe Gatto leave «Impractical Jokers»? Here’s everything you need to know about the improvisational comedian and his departure from the show that made him famous.
Joe Gatto is an improvisational comedian, actor, and producer. He was born on June 5, 1976, on Staten Island in an Italian family. His father passed away in 1995 from pancreatic cancer. When Joe was in high school, he joined the Improv Club, where he met James, Brian, and Sal. The foursome eventually met up after college and created a comedy collective of improvisation and sketches called The Tenderloins in 1998. They posted their content on YouTube and Myspace before winning $ 100,000 for participating in the NBC competition «It's Your Show» for their sketch «Time Thugs». Joe and his colleagues from The Tenderloins were offered their own show on truTV… and «Impractical Jokers» was born.
«Impractical Jokers» was a huge success from the very first episode, which aired on December 15, 2011. The show was praised for its humor and the concept of using hidden cameras to capture pranks on the show. Joe, James, Brian, and Sal became celebrities after the show premiered. Over the first nine seasons, the series featured many celebrities, including Joey Fatone, Howie Mandel, Danica McKellar, Guy Fieri, and Brooke Shields. A feature film was also released in February 2020, which grossed $ 10 million at the box office.
In a 2018 interview with MassLive, Joe talked about the success of the show and how the concept was conceived by all four members of The Tenderloins. «We thought we could do our version of a hidden camera comedy show. We didn’t like doing traditional prank shows where we felt bad for the people we were pranking», - he said. «We thought, why not make ourselves the butt of the jokes on the show. Let our three friends make fun of each of us, and let the source of comedy be collective humiliation».
The success of «Impractical Jokers» also led to The Tenderloins getting their own game show called «The Misery Index». Hosted by actress Jameela Jamil, the series aired on TBS for three seasons from 2019 to 2021. In it, two teams competed against each other, rating their funny and painful real-life events on a scale from 1 to 100.
On December 31, 2021, Joe announced that he was leaving «Impractical Jokers» to focus on his family life. He revealed that he and his wife Bessy Gatto were separating, so he needed to be more present for his daughter Milana (born 2015) and son Remington (born 2017). Joe shared this news in an Instagram post, which completely surprised fans.
«Hi, everyone. I apologize in advance for the long and more serious than usual message below, I just wanted you all to know that I will no longer be participating in 'Impractical Jokers'», - Joe began his lengthy statement, which garnered over 1 million likes on Instagram. «Together with my friends, I dedicated ten years of my life to creating this franchise and couldn’t be prouder of what was achieved. However, due to some issues in my personal life, I have to step away», - Joe added. «Bessy and I have decided to part ways amicably, so now I need to focus on being the best father and co-parent for our two amazing children».
The comedian continued: «Aside from 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»
So why did Joe Gatto leave «Impractical Jokers»? Here’s everything you need to know about the improvisational comedian and his departure from the show that made him famous.
Joe Gatto is an improvisational comedian, actor, and producer. He was born on June 5, 1976, on Staten Island in an Italian family. His father passed away in 1995 from pancreatic cancer. When Joe was in high school, he joined the Improv Club, where he met James, Brian, and Sal. The foursome eventually met up after college and created a comedy collective of improvisation and sketches called The Tenderloins in 1998. They posted their content on YouTube and Myspace before winning $ 100,000 for participating in the NBC competition «It's Your Show» for their sketch «Time Thugs». Joe and his colleagues from The Tenderloins were offered their own show on truTV… and «Impractical Jokers» was born.
«Impractical Jokers» was a huge success from the very first episode, which aired on December 15, 2011. The show was praised for its humor and the concept of using hidden cameras to capture pranks on the show. Joe, James, Brian, and Sal became celebrities after the show premiered. Over the first nine seasons, the series featured many celebrities, including Joey Fatone, Howie Mandel, Danica McKellar, Guy Fieri, and Brooke Shields. A feature film was also released in February 2020, which grossed $ 10 million at the box office.
In a 2018 interview with MassLive, Joe talked about the success of the show and how the concept was conceived by all four members of The Tenderloins. «We thought we could do our version of a hidden camera comedy show. We didn’t like doing traditional prank shows where we felt bad for the people we were pranking», - he said. «We thought, why not make ourselves the butt of the jokes on the show. Let our three friends make fun of each of us, and let the source of comedy be collective humiliation».
The success of «Impractical Jokers» also led to The Tenderloins getting their own game show called «The Misery Index». Hosted by actress Jameela Jamil, the series aired on TBS for three seasons from 2019 to 2021. In it, two teams competed against each other, rating their funny and painful real-life events on a scale from 1 to 100.
On December 31, 2021, Joe announced that he was leaving «Impractical Jokers» to focus on his family life. He revealed that he and his wife Bessy Gatto were separating, so he needed to be more present for his daughter Milana (born 2015) and son Remington (born 2017). Joe shared this news in an Instagram post, which completely surprised fans.
«Hi, everyone. I apologize in advance for the long and more serious than usual message below, I just wanted you all to know that I will no longer be participating in 'Impractical Jokers'», - Joe began his lengthy statement, which garnered over 1 million likes on Instagram. «Together with my friends, I dedicated ten years of my life to creating this franchise and couldn’t be prouder of what was achieved. However, due to some issues in my personal life, I have to step away», - Joe added. «Bessy and I have decided to part ways amicably, so now I need to focus on being the best father and co-parent for our two amazing children».
The comedian continued: «Aside from 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»
© Puhova Marina
