Why did he leave the program

Joe’s departure from Impractical Wildcards left a gap in the classic lineup and made fans wonder what happened to him. The hidden camera reality show follows the members of The Tenderloins, a comedy troupe who dare each other to put themselves in embarrassing situations for the amusement of others. An immediate hit on TruTV, the series blossomed into a bona fide franchise with spinoffs such as Inside jokes and even a feature film. A big part of the show’s success is the likability of its cast, and they have anchored the show for over a decade.

Unlike previous reality shows with hidden cameras, the main troupe’s comedy takes center stage and they are the butt of the joke, as opposed to the unsuspecting people on the street. Although there are still false things about Impractical Wildcardshis unique brand of creepy humor offers a cathartic release for viewers who are just looking for a laugh. Despite years of huge success, original member Joe Gatto left the show in 2021, and his absence was felt even as the show continued without him.

Joe left impractical wildcards to stay with his family after his split

Joe mentioned in an Instagram post that he will focus on being the best father possible

However Impractical Wildcards It’s 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 long Instagram post, Joe exited the series following his amicable split from his wife Bessy. The enormous success of Impractical Wildcards It put pressure on every artist’s personal life, and Joe made it clear what his priorities were. The couple have several children together and Joe stated:

I need to focus on being the best father and co-parent to our two amazing children.

Joe has reconciled with his wife (but is not yet confirmed to appear in Impractical Jokers)

A myriad of famous guests have taken Joe’s place

Fortunately for the entire Gatto clan, Joe and his wife Bessy managed to reconcile their marriageand in accordance with Hollywood lifecelebrated their 10-year wedding anniversary in September 2023. Regarding their long relationship, Bessy Gatto said:

I think about all the changes we’ve been through, good and bad. In the end, I wouldn’t change anything.

This echoed her famous husband’s sentiment. Joe Gatto continued to perform while away from Impractical Wildcardsand he appears in stand-up sets and presents the Two cool moms podcast with Steve Byrne.

Despite the good news about Joe’s marriage reconciliation, Gatto has expressed no plans to join his former Tenderloin teammates shortly. The show continued without him, as numerous celebrities took his place, and it appears Gatto was able to parlay 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 children and it is likely that he will not return to Impractical Wildcards full time.

How the impractical jokers coped with Joe’s absence

The show features guest stars instead of a new fourth host

The best way to Impractical Wildcards honoring Joe Gatto is not replacing him, and that’s exactly what they did. This is a really good idea because the biggest The selling point of 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 be a failure, no matter how funny the replacement was. What the hosts did makes a lot more sense. Instead of someone replacing Joe, which is impossible, they now use a rotating group of guest stars.

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Impractical Wildcards had brought guests in the past. Having someone who’s a fan of the show try out was always fun, and having The Tenderloins choose to not just replace Joe with a permanent cast member helped keep the show funny and fresh. Also almost nothing changed in the series, except Joe’s absence. Since Joe left, guests like Eric Andre, Brett Michaels, David Cross, Method Man, Chris Jericho and others have livened things up. Many fans are not sold, but it helped Impractical Wildcards continue.

What Joe Has Said About Impractical Wildcards Since He Left

Joe hasn’t watched the show since it left

Joe Gatto recently commented on his departure from Impractical Wildcards and their subsequent actions. He appeared in The Bobby Bones Show in October 2024 and made some surprising comments about her relationship with her former co-stars and friends from the comedy show. Although he said he remains friends with everyone on the show, Joe said he hasn’t watched an episode of the show since leaving it. However, there is a twist. Despite starring, Joe never watched Impractical Wildcards (through PEOPLE).

“Do I watch the show? No. I try to be consistent and I never watched it. That’s 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 anymore, I didn’t have to watch as much.

“I’m still best friends with these guys. Our friendship started long before the show and will continue after the show. We’re just not work friends anymore.”

Although Joe made a clean break with Impractical Wildcardshe is still interested in his comedy career. Your comedy special Messing with people is available to stream on YouTubeand it even starts with him going on stage and hugging his children as he leaves. It seems like he’s where he wants to be now that he’s on his own, even if that’s not something Impractical Wildcards fans might want to see.