Stephen Colbert said he was surprised by CBS’ decision to cancel “The Late Show,” calling the move “shocking” and unexpected for a show still leading its ratings.
Speaking to GQ, the 61-year-old host said there had been no discussion or warning before the announcement that the late-night show would conclude in 2026.
“My great relationship with CBS was one of the reasons why this was so surprising and so shocking,” Colbert said, emphasizing that he had not anticipated the decision after nearly a decade hosting the network’s flagship talk show.
“Listen, every show’s got to end at some time,” he told the magazine. “And I’ve been on a bunch of shows that have ended sometimes by our lights and sometimes by the decision of other people.”
“That’s just the nature of show business. You can’t worry about that.”
“You got to be a big boy about that. But I think we’re the first No. 1 show to ever get cancelled,” added Colbert.
The cancellation came months after Colbert criticized Paramount, CBS’ parent company, for paying a $16 million legal settlement to President Donald Trump.
He later announced that “The Late Show” would end in May 2026, marking the close of a series that began in 1993.
“It’s not just the end of the show, it is the end of ‘The Late Show’ on CBS. I’m not being replaced, this is all just going away,” Colbert said at the time.
CBS said the move was driven by financial pressures.
CBS Chief Executive George Cheeks said in August that falling ad revenue made the show “unsustainable,” noting that the broader advertising market was in “significant secular decline.”
“The challenge in late night is that the advertising marketplace is in significant secular decline,” Cheeks said at a press conference at the time, according to Deadline.
“We are huge fans of Colbert, we love the show, unfortunately the economics made it a challenge for us to keep going.”
The announcement prompted a wide range of reactions.
Trump celebrated the cancellation on social media, writing, “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings.”
Former “Late Show” host David Letterman, however, sharply criticized CBS, calling the decision one of “pure cowardice.”
He added, “I think one day, if not today, the people at CBS who have manipulated and handled this are going to be embarrassed. This is gutless.”
Colbert said he understood why some believed the decision was linked to Paramount’s settlement with Trump.
“It is self-evident that that is damaging to the reputation of the network, the corporation, and the news division,” he told GQ. “So it is unclear to me why anyone would do that other than to curry favor with a single individual.”
Though disappointed, Colbert said he also felt some relief about leaving the nightly political grind behind.
He admitted he would not miss having to “put on the snorkel and get into the sewer every day.”
And while Colbert has not revealed his next project, he said he loves “creating things,” which he planned “to keep doing.”
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