Stephen Colbert Canceled: CBS Pulls Plug on The Late Show for Good
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” is being cancelled, CBS announced Thursday, possibly ending the career of the late night host.
“We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire ‘The Late Show’ franchise at that time,” top executives from CBS and Paramount Global said in a statement, Deadline reported.
“We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television.”
Colbert also announced the news, saying, “I’m not being replaced, this is all just going away.”
CBS said this was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.”
“It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount,” the network leaders added.
James Woods responded to the news:
Deadline speculated that Colbert may move over to CBS’s sister network, Comedy Central, owned by Paramount.
“The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart has signed a contract up until the end of 2025.
Theoretically, Colbert could take up the reins if Stewart decides to leave.
“The move is particularly surprising because ‘The Late Show’ is typically the highest-rated show in late-night,” CNN reported.
The move comes not long after Paramount settled with President Donald Trump for $16 million after he sued over CBS’s “60 Minutes” doctoring an interview with Kamala Harris.
Colbert called the payout to the president “a big fat bribe.”
The host took over as host of “The Late Show” in 2015 from David Letterman.
Meanwhile, Charlie Kirk responded to the news, posting on social media, “Stephen Colbert was so unfunny he killed The Late Show.”
“Great job,” he added.