Joe Gatto is no longer a star of truTV’s Impractical Jokers, but that doesn’t mean he’s getting out of comedy altogether. Monday, the comedian announced he still intends to complete a stand-up tour taking place over the next few months. The tour itself begins later this week in Iowa before moving to some dates in Florida, New York, Arizona, and North Carolina. Come March, the tour then has dates in Washington and Kentucky before heading back to New York to finish in late May.
Gatto shared the tour dates on his Instagram account Monday, saying he felt it was needed for both he and his fans. “When I committed to my upcoming series of shows starting in the Midwest this week, I obviously had no idea what life would look like at this moment,” the former Jokers star said.
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He added, “Regardless, we can all use some laughter and kindness right now, and I’ll therefore be keeping all of my dates. Excited to share some laughs with the fans in Iowa this weekend and all over the country in the weeks and months to come.
Gatto announced he would leave Impractical Jokers before its milestone 10th season started filming later this month. In a heartfelt Instagram post, the comedian said a split from his wife led him to his departure, and would need to be around more to co-parent his two children.
“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,” Gatto wrote in his January 1st post. “As I work through the challenges I am facing, I hope to and am excited to create new ways to entertain you.”
The remaining three stars of Impractical JokersโBrian Quinn, James Murray, and Sal Vulcanoโhave committed to filming the show’s 10th season.
“Hi everyone, so here we areโฆ After all these years together, we never imagined makingย Impractical Jokersย without Joe,” reads the statement from Murray, Quinn, and Vulcano. “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 ofย Impractical Jokersย in January.”
Cover photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Disney