Stephen Colbert’s time on The Late Show is coming to an end. However, he isn’t going down quietly. During a recent interview, he talked about the moment he learned the news of his show’s fate. In particular, he also shared one last demand he had before the end.
Stephen Colbert First Joined The Late Show In 2015
Colbert previously joined The Late Show in 2015. Having taken over for David Letterman, this followed Colbert’s run on The Colbert Report for Comedy Central, running from 2005 to 2014.
However, CBS has recently announced the show would be coming to an end, with them retiring The Late Show‘s format altogether. The show will air its final episode on May 21, 2026.
As his show comes to an end, Colbert recently sat down to chat with The Hollywood Reporter. During the conversation, he revealed that the news didn’t come from a formal meeting, but from a face-to-face interaction with his manager.
Sharing that the news was a surprise, Colbert noted that he realized something was off when he heard James “Babydoll” Dixon was there to see him. As he revealed, “It hasn’t been two years since I signed my last contract, and they were feverish to lock me down. It was the best negotiation we’ve ever had.”
According to Colbert, the explanation given was that the show wasn’t turning a profit. While he didn’t question the business side of things, he was surprised by the timing, noting that “there’s no denying that the broadcast model is in huge trouble.”
This cancellation also came out at a time when major shifts were happening at Paramount Global. This involved a high-stakes merger and a legal settlement between President Donald Trump over a 60 Minutes interview.
Colbert Also Shared One Wish He Had That Didn’t Come True For The Show
With his show coming to an end, Colbert has been very open about the situation, taking shots at the network, the president, and even reports that the show was hemorrhaging $40 million a year. Reportedly, being allowed to do this was one of Colbert’s last requests.
As Colbert recalled, “I’m not over here grinding a knife. But we are going to make jokes about how this went down and about the $40 million and about CBS’ apparent check-cutting spree to the president.”
“That’s the show I want to do for 10 more months because I like working for CBS. And I’m not going to change that relationship between now and the end if you allow that to happen.”
During the share, Colbert also discussed one wish he had that didn’t come true: having the Pope as a guest. He shared that he wanted the moment to be thoughtful, but in keeping with his line of humor. As he joked, he hoped that the message found the pontiff “well or, at the very least, infallible.”
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John Witiw has been a writer since at least 2015. He’s covered a variety of topics, especially when it comes to film and television.
