Stephen Colbert revealed that he feels a small “sense of relief” that “The Late Show” is ending, despite it becoming “the first No. 1 show to ever get canceled.”
In an interview with GQ published Monday, Colbert shared how he learned about CBS’ decision to cancel “The Late Show,” which is set to end in May 2026, and also offered some insight into his mixed feelings about the late night talk show’s forthcoming conclusion. At first, the “Late Show” host expressed some hope for his future, after his interviewer remarked that he has had his mouth attached to “the exhaust pipe of news” for two decades.
“That sounds vaguely suicidal,” Colbert joked in response. “‘You’ve been running your car in the closed garage of media for 20 years, are you’re getting a little woozy?’ Yeah, I’m getting a little woozy. Listen, it’s possible that George Cheeks [former Paramount co-CEO and CBS President and CEO, current Paramount Chair of TV Media] saved my life. I’ll get a little oxygen back into my brain.”
“I love what we do and I love the grind. You can only do one of these shows, do the jokes every night, year after year for 20 years, if you give a damn at all about what you’re talking about,” Colbert added. “But there is a sense of relief that I might not have to put on the snorkel and get into the sewer every day.”
As for his initial reaction to the “Late Show” cancellation, Colbert said, “I was surprised.” Later, the host added, “I think we’re the first No. 1 show to ever get canceled.” In the same conversation, Colbert revealed that he found out the news through his manager, not CBS. “They didn’t call me and tell me! My manager told me,” he noted.
“I called a friend of mine who’s also in late night, and I was trying to work out my feelings and I said, ‘You got any thoughts on this?’ And he goes, ‘No, no one’s going to have any thoughts on this. No one’s ever been the number one show for nine years in a row and then been canceled,’” Colbert recalled. “So that surprised me.” While Colbert said he had a set plan for how he wanted to end “The Colbert Report,” all he wants to do now with “The Late Show” is make sure that it concludes “gracefully.”
“This is not my choice,” Colbert said. “People have asked me, ‘Well, what do you think you’re going to do next?’ And the cleanest and really fullest answer I can give you, not that I don’t have thoughts, is, the honest answer is, I just want to land this plane gracefully in a way that I find satisfying, given how much effort we’ve put into it for the last 10 years.”
As for whether or not he thinks he will be able to enjoy not talking about President Trump every day after May, Colbert told GQ, “I’m an American. I’m not going to be free of it. I’m still going to care. I’ll miss the ability to go out there and make jokes. I will miss every aspect of my job other than wearing makeup.”
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