In a recent interview, Stephen Colbert discussed his late-night show and its cancellation by CBS. The network announced the show’s cancellation two months ago. At the time, they attributed the cancellation to financial decisions. However, longtime viewers speculated about the true nature of its cancellation.
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Stephen Colbert gets candid about his work
Stephen Colbert recently sat down for an interview in which he discussed The Late Show’s cancellation by CBS, how he learned about it, and his work in general. He told GQ that work currently felt “normal” to him, which wasn’t usually the case with the show.
He added that he has nine more months to do the show until it ends in May 2026, stressing that he can’t be thinking about its conclusion. “I’ve got to think about the show on Monday,” he added. So when you say, “How’s the show, perfectly normal?” Well, yeah.”
He revealed that informing everyone of The Late Show’s ending wasn’t normal. He also admitted that the time from now until the show’s end feels “a long way away.”
Colbert also expressed “a sense of relief” that the show was ending. He admitted to “getting a little woozy” after the interviewer quipped that Colbert had been “attaching [his] mouth to the exhaust pipe of news.” Further, he claimed that CBS CEO George Cheeks “saved his life,” adding, “I’ll get a little oxygen back into my brain.”
However, Colbert clarified that although he has accepted the show’s fate, he can’t wrap his head around how he feels about it. “I don’t know because the shows go on,” he shared. “I don’t necessarily know how I’ll feel about it until I’m not doing it anymore, because it’s all-consuming.”
Colbert admitted he was surprised after learning about the show’s cancellation. However, he acknowledged that it was a part of show business. “You can’t worry about that,” he stated. “You got to be a big boy about that. But I think we’re the first number one show to ever get canceled.” He also revealed that he found out about the show’s cancellation from his manager and not directly from CBS.
Moreover, Colbert addressed speculation that political reasons caused The Late Show’s cancellation. He acknowledged it was “reasonable” to believe as such. However, he said he wouldn’t reveal who was truly behind the cancellation as he didn’t know. He emphasized that as a “professional,” he had to accept that the network canceled the show.
