Stephen Colbert revealed Thursday night time that his reign at The Late Present will conclude in 2026, as CBS shuts down the long-running program amid broader monetary constraints throughout late-night tv, however in fact, Donald Trump is by some means concerned.
“I wish to let you recognize one thing I discovered simply final night time. Subsequent yr shall be our final season. The community shall be ending The Late Present in Might,” Colbert informed the surprised studio viewers, who responded with a refrain of groans. “Yeah! I share your emotions. It’s not simply the tip of our present. It’s the tip of The Late Present on CBS. I’m not being changed. That is all simply going away. I do wish to say that the oldsters at CBS have been nice companions.”
CBS confirmed this system’s conclusion was strictly a cost-driven choice. Executives said that the difficulty was unrelated to viewership, content material, or the corporate’s authorized disputes.
“It’s purely a monetary choice in opposition to a difficult backdrop in late-night,” the assertion mentioned. The community added, “We’re proud that Stephen referred to as CBS residence. He and the printed shall be remembered within the pantheon of greats that graced late-night tv.”
Colbert stepped into The Late Present chair in September 2015, succeeding David Letterman, who held the position for over twenty years.
Earlier than that, Colbert hosted The Colbert Report on Comedy Central for almost a decade, satirizing politics and media sharply since 2005. Throughout his emotional announcement, Colbert supplied gratitude to his crew and supporters who’ve been a part of the journey.
“I’m so grateful to the Tiffany Community for giving me this chair and this lovely theatre to name residence. And, in fact, I’m grateful to you, the viewers, who’ve joined us each night time. I’ve had the pleasure and the accountability of sharing what we do every single day with you in entrance of this digicam for the final 10 years,” he mentioned. “It’s a unbelievable job. I want anyone else was getting it. It’s a job that I’m wanting ahead to doing with this common gang of idiots for one more 10 months.”
CBS’s announcement coincides with a turbulent period for its mother or father firm, Paramount, which has settled a $16 million lawsuit introduced by Donald Trump over an allegedly altered interview involving Vice President Kamala Harris on 60 Minutes.
Whereas Paramount’s producers denied all wrongdoing, Colbert overtly criticized the corporate management over the payout to Donald Trump.
The information additionally comes as Paramount advances a serious $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media, pending approval from the Federal Communications Fee, signaling a wider trade transformation with direct implications for community programming.
The ultimate episode of The Late Present with Stephen Colbert is about to air in Might 2026.
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