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ABC News
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Stephen Colbert tells Trump 'the gloves are off' as giants of late-night hosts rally around cancelled host
Some of the biggest names in late-night television have united to show support for cancelled Stephen Colbert, as The Late Show host used his first show back to declare to the US president that the "gloves are off". Last Week Tonight's John Oliver, The Tonight Show's Jimmy Fallon, The Daily Show's Jon Stewart and Late Night's Seth Meyers were among the celebrities to appear in the audience during a parody sketch on the show on Monday, local time. Last week, Colbert announced that his top-rated American late-night show had been cancelled by CBS and will end in May after the upcoming broadcast season. And while his axing may bring The Late Show franchise to an end after 33 years, it means for the next 10 months "the gloves are off", Colbert declared in his opening monologue, which he directed at Donald Trump. "Over the weekend, it sunk in that they're killing off our show. But, they made one mistake: they left me alive. He added that he "didn't care for him" and thought he "doesn't have the skill set to be president". Colbert also joked about show's demise, stating that "cancel culture has gone too far" and suggested the show's theatre would become a self-storage building. Colbert's late-night rivals were also joined on Monday night's episode by Anderson Cooper, Bravo's Andy Cohen, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Weird Al Yankovic, Adam Sandler and Christopher McDonald. The celebrities and hosts, which the show's Instagram called "supportive kings" appeared in a kiss cam parody sketch poking fun at the viral Coldplay CEO affair saga. Fallon and NBC colleague Meyers were "spotted" on the kiss cam sharing beers together, while Colbert's former colleagues on The Daily Show Oliver and Stewart were (enthusiastically) seated together. US media is reporting that CBS's parent company, Paramount, is seeking approval from the US Federal Communications Commission for a merger with Skydance Media, in a deal worth $US8.4 billion ($12.9 billion). This month, Paramount also agreed to pay Mr Trump $US16 million over an interview with former vice-president Kamala Harris on CBS's 60 Minutes program broadcast in October. Before his cancellation, Colbert joked on the show the deal was a "big fat bribe" — and said the company settled primarily to clear a hurdle to the Skydance sale. In the wake of the cancellation, CBS executives clarified it was "purely a financial decision" before an anonymous CBS source leaked that they pulled the show because of losses pegged between $US40 to $US50million. Colbert on Monday was quick to point out the irony in the top-rating show operating at a loss. "I could see us losing $24 million, but where would Paramount have possibly spent the other $16 million — Oh, yeah!" he said to a round of applause. Stewart used his monologue on The Daily Show, which runs on Paramount-owned Comedy Central, to blame Colbert's cancellation on "fear and pre-compliance" in the current US climate. "If you're trying to figure out why Stephen's show is ending, I don't think the answer can be found in some smoking gun email or phone call from Trump to CBS executives or in CBS QuickBooks spreadsheets on the financial health of late night," he said. "I think the answer is in the fear and pre-compliance that is gripping all of America's institutions at this very moment, institutions that have chosen not to fight the vengeful and vindictive actions of our … commander in chief." Mr Trump wrote on his own TruthSocial said that "absolutely love that Colbert got fired" and that the host's talent was "even less than his ratings". Colbert's response? "How dare you, sir. Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism? Go f*** yourself." ABC
Fox News
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Trump declares there's 'strong word' that Kimmel and Fallon are next on the late-night chopping block
NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! President Donald Trump predicted Tuesday that both ABC and NBC would cancel their late-night comedy shows on the heels of CBS axing "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." In a post to his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said that NBC's "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" are likely to get canceled following CBS announcing Colbert would go off the air in May. "The word is, and it's a strong word at that, Jimmy Kimmel is NEXT to go in the untalented Late Night Sweepstakes and, shortly thereafter, Fallon will be gone," the president stated. He continued, "These are people with absolutely NO TALENT, who were paid Millions of Dollars for, in all cases, destroying what used to be GREAT Television. It's really good to see them go, and I hope I played a major part in it!" SCHIFF, WARREN DEMAND TO KNOW IF CBS IS ENDING STEPHEN COLBERT'S 'LATE SHOW' FOR 'POLITICAL REASONS' CBS announced last Thursday that it would cancel "The Late Show" next May at the end of its broadcast season. The network clarified in its announcement that the cancellation was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night," and noted, "It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount." COLBERT'S 'LATE SHOW' WAS REPORTEDLY LOSING CBS $40M A YEAR AS CRITICS SPECULATE POLITICS DROVE CANCELLATION The news came weeks after CBS and parent company Paramount reached a $16 million settlement with Trump following his lawsuit against the network for how it edited an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Colbert was outspoken against the settlement , calling it a "big fat bribe" ahead of Paramount's merger with Skydance Media. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE Trump was gleeful about Colbert's cancellation last week. "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday. "His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert! Greg Gutfeld is better than all of them combined, including the Moron on NBC who ruined the once great Tonight Show." Colbert responded to Trump's initial reaction during the opening monologue of his show Monday night, stating, "How dare you, sir? Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism? Go f--- yourself." The comic also joked about Trump's Kimmel prediction, stating, "Absolutely not, Kimmel. I am the martyr, OK? There's only room for one on this cross, and I got to tell you, the view is fantastic from up here!" JON STEWART BLASTS CBS FOR CANCELING COLBERT'S SHOW, CALLS IT 'PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE' FOR CORPORATE MERGER Fox News Channel's "Gutfeld!" is the most-watched late-night program on television and has outdrawn Colbert for 21 straight months among total viewers and 13 months in a row among the advertiser-coveted demographic of adults aged 25-54. In 2025, "Gutfeld!" averaged 3.1 million viewers through July 20, compared to 1.9 million for CBS' outgoing "Late Show." During that same time period, ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" averaged 1.5 million, NBC's "The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon" averaged 1.1 million, and NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers" managed 751,000.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bowen Yang, Jimmy Kimmel And More Sound Off After Stephen Colbert Gets The Axe At CBS: ‘It's So Tragic'
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Major changes in late-night TV are rare. There's an expectation that when a new host takes over a show, they will be there for a long time. Stephen Colbert has hosted The Late Show on CBS for a decade, but there was no expectation he would be leaving anytime soon, which is why so many were stunned by his announcement that his show has been canceled. At the beginning of last night's The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the host revealed that not only will he be leaving the show next May, but that the show is being canceled by CBS entirely, with no new host taking over. This has sent a shockwave through the entertainment world, with even Colbert's technical competitor, Jimmy Kimmel, dropping F-bombs in frustration on Instagram. Kimmel isn't the only late-night host to respond to the surprising news. Colbert's other "competition," Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon, posted to his Instagram story: I'm just as shocked as everyone. Stephen is one of the sharpest, funniest hosts to ever do it. I really thought I'd ride this out with him for years to come. I'm sad that my family and friends will need a new show to watch every night at 11:30. But honestly, he's really been a gentleman and a true friend over the years - going back to The Colbert Report, and I'm sure whatever he does next will be brilliant. Likewise, Seth Meyers posted a farewell to his IG stories. The Late Night host, like Fallon, called out what a good person Colbert is, but in true late-night fashion, made sure to include a joke. Meyers posted... For as great a comedian and host he is, [Stephen Colbert] is an even better person. I'm going to miss having him on TV every night but I'm excited he can no longer use the excuse that he's 'too busy to hang out with me.' There are a lot of unanswered questions about exactly why CBS made the decision to cancel the show. The network's official statement said the move was purely financial due to the increasingly challenging nature of late-night TV. It's specifically stated that this was not a performance issue on Colbert's part. It's hard to imagine that would be the case, as The Late Show has remained one of the highest-rated late-night programs of its type. It has been speculated that the decision was made in part to ease the political pressure on CBS following a lawsuit settlement with President Trump, as the network seeks merger approval with Skydance. Colbert's consistent criticism of the President is well known. Saturday Night Live cast member Bowen Yang spoke to iHeartRadio at his Las Culturistas Culture Awards and called out the more political elements, saying… I don't think so honey, CBS canceling the Late Show. It's so tragic. Late-night TV is one of the only ways we have of processing the news in a way that is tangible and beautiful and funny, and the people who have hosted these shows are at the top of their game. It has given comedians and people in the industry something to aspire to. I think it's a really dark day. I think the way that these networks are being consolidated is really, really bleak. Another professional host, Bravo's Andy Cohen, was also at the Las Culturistas Culture Awards and told Deadline that while he fully expects Stephen Colbert to be fine, he was shocked by CBS's decision to simply end the show and not replace it with anything. Cohen said… I think it's a sad day for late-night television. I think it's a sad day for CBS. I think Stephen Colbert is a singular talent. He's going to have an incredible next chapter. I can't believe CBS is turning out the lights at 11:30 after the local news. Just completely turning out the lights. I'm stunned. He's one of three late-night shows deemed worthy enough for an Emmy nomination. He produces a brilliant show. Cohen had a particular connection to the show as he said he worked for CBS back in 1993 when David Letterman made the jump from NBC after losing out on the hosting job at The Tonight Show. Colbert took over The Late Show from Letterman in 2015. Cohen continued… I mean, I worked at CBS when Letterman came to CBS, and CBS became a powerhouse in late-night television…I spent ten years at CBS. It's just sad for CBS. The combination of well wishes and frustration has poured in from many others on Instagram, where the official announcement was posted. Friends, former guests, and Colbert's former band leader are among the hundreds of people responding with a mix of love and confusion. Comments include… Love you Stephen. This is absolute bullshit, and I for one am looking forward to the next 10 months of shows. ✊😡💔-Adam Scott I am extremely sad. I adore you, Stephen. -Rachel Zegler The greatest to ever do it. -Jon Batiste I am so upset about this. I need more information. We love you [Stephen Colbert] ❤️-Katie Couric My admiration and appreciation for you is bottomless. Excited to see what other brilliance you put into the world. ❤️-Judd Apatow While more details behind the decision may still come to light, and what Stephen Colbert will do next remains to be seen, we can imagine the next 10 months of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on the 2025 TV schedule will be some of the show's biggest as the host gets ready to say goodbye. Until May 2026, you can watch The Late Show on weekdays on CBS at 11:30 p.m. ET. Solve the daily Crossword
CNN
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
All-star roster of comedians show solidarity with Stephen Colbert in first ‘Late Show' after cancellation
Stephen Colbert gained a little help from his friends and late-night rivals on Monday, his first night back on 'The Late Show' since announcing that CBS is ending the legendary show. NBC's Jimmy Fallon, HBO's John Oliver, and Comedy Central's Jon Stewart were among the faces in the 'Late Show' crowd during a spoof of the now-famous 'Coldplay cam.' The fellow comedians didn't speak and they didn't have to: Being there was the point. The 'Late Show' cancellation raised concerns about the future of late-night comedy — and about something bigger. Are big TV networks going to keep supporting political satire and free speech at a time when President Trump's campaign of retribution is rattling corporate America? 'Some people see this show going away as a sign of something truly dire,' Colbert acknowledged Monday night. 'And while I am a big fan of me, I don't necessarily agree with that statement,' he said. 'Because we here at 'The Late Show' never saw our job as changing anything other than how you felt at the end of the day.' He also made some jokes about CBS saying the show was ending for 'purely financial' reasons. Through humor, he raised an eyebrow at news reports about the show becoming unprofitable, though he didn't directly dispute that. 'Folks, I'm going to go ahead and say it: Cancel culture has gone too far,' he quipped. After the 'Coldplay cam' spoof, which was led by Lin-Manuel Miranda and 'Weird Al' Yankovic, Colbert pretended that CBS had just cancelled the song because it lost money. The cameos were a testament to Colbert's long-lasting relationships in the TV industry. Fallon and his NBC colleague Seth Meyers were seated together. Bravo late-night host Andy Cohen sat with his best friend, CNN's Anderson Cooper. Actors Adam Sandler and Christopher McDonald were there with Robert Smigel and his Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. Beyond the partisan arguments about whether anti-Trump comics are funny is a broader fear about institutions caving to Trump and removing room for dissent. There is a long history of American TV networks giving comics space to poke politicians and even network executives in the eye, despite the potential ramifications. Fans feel that tradition is under threat now. Outside the 'Late Show' studio, the Ed Sullivan Theater, on Monday, pro-Colbert and anti-Trump protesters held up signs criticizing CBS for cancelling the show. One sign read, 'Silencing comedians is no joke.' Another read, 'Colbert forever.' Stewart spoke out about it from his own television perch, 'The Daily Show,' on Monday night. Both shows are owned by the same company, Paramount Global, which has been in a perilous political position in recent months. Colbert catapulted to fame on Stewart's show twenty years ago; the two men have remained friends ever since; and Stewart is now an executive producer of Colbert's 'Late Show,' so he has some visibility into the situation. 'If you're trying to figure out why Stephen's show is ending, I don't think the answer can be found in some smoking gun email or phone call from Trump to CBS executives, or in CBS's QuickBooks spreadsheets on the financial health of late night,' Stewart said on-air. 'I think the answer in the fear and pre-compliance that is gripping all of America's institutions at this very moment — institutions that have chosen not to fight the vengeful and vindictive actions of our pubic hair-doodling commander in chief,' he said. Stewart, whose 'Daily Show' contract expires at the end of this year, added, 'This is not the moment to give in. I'm not giving in! I'm not going anywhere — I think.' Stewart also had a profane message for Paramount and other media companies: 'If you believe, as corporations or as networks, you can make yourselves so innocuous, that you can serve a gruel so flavorless that you will never again be on the boy king's radar, why will anyone watch you, and you are f***ing wrong.' 'The Late Show' has been a cornerstone of the CBS programming schedule for decades, so fans and industry followers were shocked when the network announced its cancellation last Thursday. Top executives at CBS said it was an 'agonizing' decision but one that was unrelated to 'other matters happening at Paramount.' In other words, the merger. Paramount has been attempting to merge with Skydance Media, which means billions of dollars and some big egos are on the line. However, the deal requires approval from the Trump administration, and the review process has been taking longer than usual, which has raised concerns about political interference. Earlier this month, while Colbert and 'The Late Show' were on a mid-summer break, Paramount settled Trump's legally dubious lawsuit against CBS News by agreeing to pay $16 million toward his future presidential library. The settlement was widely criticized, and Colbert joined the chorus when he returned from vacation last week, likening the payoff to a 'big fat bribe.' Two days after that telecast, Colbert was informed that CBS was retiring 'The Late Show' franchise. The move will take effect next May, when Colbert's contract expires and the broadcast TV season ends. Colbert referred to the settlement again on Monday night's show. He cited the media leaks indicating that the 'Late Show' was losing 'between $40 million and $50 million a year.' 'Forty million's a big number,' Colbert said. 'I could see us losing $24 million, but where would Paramount have possibly spent the other $16 million… oh, yeah.' Meantime, the founding host of 'The Late Show,' David Letterman, weighed in on the franchise's retirement on Monday by publishing to his YouTube channel a 20-minute highlight reel of his past jokes about CBS. The video caption read: 'You can't spell CBS without BS.'
CNN
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
All-star roster of comedians show solidarity with Stephen Colbert in first ‘Late Show' after cancellation
Stephen Colbert gained a little help from his friends and late-night rivals on Monday, his first night back on 'The Late Show' since announcing that CBS is ending the legendary show. NBC's Jimmy Fallon, HBO's John Oliver, and Comedy Central's Jon Stewart were among the faces in the 'Late Show' crowd during a spoof of the now-famous 'Coldplay cam.' The fellow comedians didn't speak and they didn't have to: Being there was the point. The 'Late Show' cancellation raised concerns about the future of late-night comedy — and about something bigger. Are big TV networks going to keep supporting political satire and free speech at a time when President Trump's campaign of retribution is rattling corporate America? 'Some people see this show going away as a sign of something truly dire,' Colbert acknowledged Monday night. 'And while I am a big fan of me, I don't necessarily agree with that statement,' he said. 'Because we here at 'The Late Show' never saw our job as changing anything other than how you felt at the end of the day.' He also made some jokes about CBS saying the show was ending for 'purely financial' reasons. Through humor, he raised an eyebrow at news reports about the show becoming unprofitable, though he didn't directly dispute that. 'Folks, I'm going to go ahead and say it: Cancel culture has gone too far,' he quipped. After the 'Coldplay cam' spoof, which was led by Lin-Manuel Miranda and 'Weird Al' Yankovic, Colbert pretended that CBS had just cancelled the song because it lost money. The cameos were a testament to Colbert's long-lasting relationships in the TV industry. Fallon and his NBC colleague Seth Meyers were seated together. Bravo late-night host Andy Cohen sat with his best friend, CNN's Anderson Cooper. Actors Adam Sandler and Christopher McDonald were there with Robert Smigel and his Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. Beyond the partisan arguments about whether anti-Trump comics are funny is a broader fear about institutions caving to Trump and removing room for dissent. There is a long history of American TV networks giving comics space to poke politicians and even network executives in the eye, despite the potential ramifications. Fans feel that tradition is under threat now. Outside the 'Late Show' studio, the Ed Sullivan Theater, on Monday, pro-Colbert and anti-Trump protesters held up signs criticizing CBS for cancelling the show. One sign read, 'Silencing comedians is no joke.' Another read, 'Colbert forever.' Stewart spoke out about it from his own television perch, 'The Daily Show,' on Monday night. Both shows are owned by the same company, Paramount Global, which has been in a perilous political position in recent months. Colbert catapulted to fame on Stewart's show twenty years ago; the two men have remained friends ever since; and Stewart is now an executive producer of Colbert's 'Late Show,' so he has some visibility into the situation. 'If you're trying to figure out why Stephen's show is ending, I don't think the answer can be found in some smoking gun email or phone call from Trump to CBS executives, or in CBS's QuickBooks spreadsheets on the financial health of late night,' Stewart said on-air. 'I think the answer in the fear and pre-compliance that is gripping all of America's institutions at this very moment — institutions that have chosen not to fight the vengeful and vindictive actions of our pubic hair-doodling commander in chief,' he said. Stewart, whose 'Daily Show' contract expires at the end of this year, added, 'This is not the moment to give in. I'm not giving in! I'm not going anywhere — I think.' Stewart also had a profane message for Paramount and other media companies: 'If you believe, as corporations or as networks, you can make yourselves so innocuous, that you can serve a gruel so flavorless that you will never again be on the boy king's radar, why will anyone watch you, and you are f***ing wrong.' 'The Late Show' has been a cornerstone of the CBS programming schedule for decades, so fans and industry followers were shocked when the network announced its cancellation last Thursday. Top executives at CBS said it was an 'agonizing' decision but one that was unrelated to 'other matters happening at Paramount.' In other words, the merger. Paramount has been attempting to merge with Skydance Media, which means billions of dollars and some big egos are on the line. However, the deal requires approval from the Trump administration, and the review process has been taking longer than usual, which has raised concerns about political interference. Earlier this month, while Colbert and 'The Late Show' were on a mid-summer break, Paramount settled Trump's legally dubious lawsuit against CBS News by agreeing to pay $16 million toward his future presidential library. The settlement was widely criticized, and Colbert joined the chorus when he returned from vacation last week, likening the payoff to a 'big fat bribe.' Two days after that telecast, Colbert was informed that CBS was retiring 'The Late Show' franchise. The move will take effect next May, when Colbert's contract expires and the broadcast TV season ends. Colbert made reference to the settlement again on Monday night's show. He cited the media leaks indicating that the 'Late Show' was losing 'between $40 million and $50 million a year.' 'Forty million's a big number,' Colbert said. 'I could see us losing $24 million, but where would Paramount have possibly spent the other $16 million… oh, yeah.' Meantime, the founding host of 'The Late Show,' David Letterman, weighed in on the franchise's retirement on Monday by publishing to his YouTube channel a 20-minute highlight reel of his past jokes about CBS. The video caption read: 'You can't spell CBS without BS.'
