Latest news with #Stephen Colbert
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
David Letterman's swipe at CBS over Colbert cancellation
David Letterman used his YouTube page to make a statement in support of Stephen Colbert Monday, following Colbert's CBS cancellation. The late night legend, 78, posted a video more than 20 minutes long of him trashing the network, which he worked for from 1993 to 2015. He captioned the curated clip, 'You can't spell CBS without BS' - amid widespread speculation the move was politically-motivated . The montage showcased various jokes Letterman told about the network, with eight clips spanning two decades, from 1994-2013. Colbert on Monday returned for his first full program after last week's announcement that CBS was canceling his Late Show with some supportive late-night guests, a joke about cancel culture and an extremely pointed remark directed at President Donald Trump . 'I'm going to go ahead and say it: Cancel culture's gone way too far,' Colbert said to a rambunctious audience that loudly chanted his name. CBS and parent Paramount Global said the decision to end the Late Show next May was was 'purely a financial' one amid 'a challenging backdrop in late night.' The decision was 'not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount, the network said. CBS said its 'admiration, affection, and respect' for Colbert 'made this agonizing decision even more difficult.' It hadn't gone unnoticed - and was mentioned by Colbert Monday night - that the announcement came days after the comic had sharply criticized Paramount's $16 million settlement of Trump's lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview. Colbert, known for his sharp comic takedowns of the Republican president , said that 'over the weekend, it sunk in that they killed off our show. But they made one mistake. They left me alive.' Now, he said, 'I can say what I really think of Donald Trump, starting right now.' As his audience cheered him on, Colbert said, 'I don't care for him. Doesn't seem to have the skill set to be president.' He read a passage from a Trump social media message saying that he loved that the 'untalented' Colbert had been fired. 'How dare you, sir,' Colbert said. 'Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism?' The show switched to a close-up camera where Colbert appeared to say, '[Expletive] you,' the word bleeped out and his mouth blurred. Noting CBS' explanation for his firing, Colbert said, 'how can it purely be a financial decision if the show is number one in the ratings? 'It's confusing. A lot of folks are asking that question, mainly my staff's parents and spouses.' With some apparent irritation, he said some news stories over the weekend reported the apparently leaked information that Late Show was losing between $40 million and $50 million a year. Ad revenue for late-night entertainment broadcasts has shrunk sharply as the audience, particularly young men, turn to streaming or other priorities. 'I could see us losing $24 million,' Colbert said. 'But where would Paramount have ever spent the other $16 million? Oh, yeah.' Colbert introduced the odd duo of 'Weird Al' Yankovic and Lin-Manuel Miranda to sing Coldplay's Viva La Vida. In a sly reference to the couple caught on camera last week at a Coldplay concert, Late Show cameras panned the audience to find some supportive friends - fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Jon Stewart and John Oliver, as well as Adam Sandler, Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen. On Comedy Central's The Daily Show, also owned by Paramount, Stewart delivered an impassioned defense of his friend and former co-worker and suggested it was futile to try to satisfy Trump, certainly not by taking away programs that have helped build the company's value over the years. 'This is not the moment to give in,' Stewart said. 'I'm not giving in. I'm not going anywhere. I think.' On his own show, Colbert turned serious - briefly - to address people who had expressed support for him since the announcement was made. 'Some people see this show going away as the sign of something truly dire. And while I'm 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, which I think is a worthy goal. 'Or,' he continued, 'changing how you felt the next morning when you watched on your phone, which is why broadcast TV is dying.'
ABC News
6 hours 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
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Sean Hannity: Democrats' delusion is 'off the charts'
Fox News host Sean Hannity dissects Democrats' 'meltdowns' over Stephen Colbert's late night show cancellation and outlines the party's 'dumpster fire' on 'Hannity.'
CNN
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Is Coca-Cola with cane sugar healthier?
Is Coca-Cola with cane sugar healthier? Coca-Cola will launch a new soda in the US made with cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup. CNN's Jacqueline Howard looks at the difference between the two sweeteners. 01:29 - Source: CNN Vertical Trending Now 16 videos Is Coca-Cola with cane sugar healthier? Coca-Cola will launch a new soda in the US made with cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup. CNN's Jacqueline Howard looks at the difference between the two sweeteners. 01:29 - Source: CNN Stephen Colbert addresses 'The Late Show' cancellation 'Cancel culture has gone too far,' Stephen Colbert told the audience as he began his first post-cancellation episode of 'The Late Show.' The host went on to fire back at Trump's Truth Social post celebrating the announcement by CBS. The episode also featured cameos by late night talk show hosts including Jimmy Fallon, Jon Stewart, John Oliver and Seth Meyers. 01:24 - Source: CNN Malcolm-Jamal Warner's impact on Black community Actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known for his role as Cliff Huxtable on 'The Cosby Show,' has died at age 54 in a drowning accident in Costa Rica where he was on vacation with family, according to authorities. Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Department told CNN that Warner was swimming Sunday at Playa Grande de Cocles in Limon province when a current pulled him deeper into the ocean, where the Red Cross later declared him dead. CNN's Lisa Respers France reports. 00:59 - Source: CNN International visitors to US will pay new fee CNN's Richard Quest explains how the Trump administration enacted a bill that will require international visitors to pay a new 'visa integrity fee' of $250 dollars. The fee will apply to all visitors who are required to obtain nonimmigrant visas to enter the US. 01:36 - Source: CNN Pilot apologizes after making hard turn to avoid B-52 bomber A pilot flying a Delta Air Lines regional jet apologized to his passengers on Friday after making an 'aggressive maneuver' to avoid hitting a US Air Force B-52 bomber, audio shared on TikTok from the incident shows. SkyWest Airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the close call. 01:08 - Source: CNN Comparing Scottie Scheffler to Tiger Woods Scottie Scheffler's win at the Open has drawn comparisons to the great Tiger Woods. CNN Sports' Patrick Snell has taken a look at some interesting stats that show Scheffler's on course for greatness. 00:38 - Source: CNN Coldplay's Chris Martin warns concertgoers Coldplay's lead singer, Chris Martin, could be heard warning the audience about cameras at a concert in Madison, Wisconsin. 00:50 - Source: CNN The voice behind the viral Jet2 holiday sound Zoë Lister, a voice actor hired for Jet2's travel ads, told CNN what it's like to watch and hear her voice become a viral sensation. The voice actor's now famous "nothing beats a Jet2 holiday" line has been used in more than a million TikTok videos to date. 01:50 - Source: CNN More than 400 guinea pigs rescued from Los Angeles home Southern California Guinea Pig Rescue said a resident in southern Los Angeles was facing eviction and needed help surrendering 'approximately 200 guinea pigs.' But when volunteers arrived, they discovered the home had more than double the amount of guinea pigs they anticipated. 01:17 - Source: CNN CEO resigns after viral video at Coldplay concert Astronomer CEO Andy Byron, seen in a viral 'kiss cam' video embracing an employee at a Coldplay concert, has resigned, the company says in a LinkedIn post. 00:40 - Source: CNN Remember Cher's plaid yellow blazer in Clueless? The Dolce & Gabbana skirt and blazer combo Alicia Silverstone wears at the beginning of 1995's "Clueless" was just one of the film's era-defining sartorial statements. 01:37 - Source: CNN Media mogul's 'one big fear' growing up made 'other fears disappear' Billionaire media mogul and IAC Chairman Barry Diller speaks to CNN's Christiane Amanpour about his new memoir, "Who Knew," and details how he had a "higher tolerance for risk" throughout his career. 02:13 - Source: CNN Meet the K-pop stars from North Korea Hyuk and Seok fled North Korea separately as teenagers. Now, after intense K-pop training, they are making their debut as members of the boy band 1VERSE. Speaking to CNN at a cafe in Seoul, they share their excitement and their dreams. 02:51 - Source: CNN Increase in pet adoption searches following 'Superman' movie According to data from the dog training app Woofz, Google searches for 'adopt a dog near me' increased 513% after the 'Superman' movie release. Krypto, the "Superdog" star in the film, was inspired by the director's rescue dog, Ozu. Warner Bros. Discovery, which is also CNN's parent company, partnered with Best Friends Animal Society for the film and covered adoption fees at select shelters ahead of its premiere. 01:15 - Source: CNN Singer and actress Connie Francis dies at 87 Connie Francis, a pop singer and actress whose hits such as 'Lipstick on Your Collar' and 'Who's Sorry Now' became a soundtrack for a generation of teens in the 1960s, has died, according to a post from her publicist and friend, Ron Roberts. 01:57 - Source: CNN Lightning bolt strikes near delivery man Video shows a lightning strike nearly hitting a delivery man in Wayne, New Jersey, as storms took place across the Mid-Atlantic. 00:36 - Source: CNN
The Independent
18 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Trump's FCC chairman gloats over Colbert's cancellation days after meeting soon-to-be CBS owner
Your support helps us to tell the story Read more Support Now From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more Brendan Carr, the Trump-appointed head of the Federal Communications Commission, gloated Tuesday morning over the abrupt cancellation of Stephen Colbert's late-night CBS show and gleefully mocked critics of the move. 'The partisan left's ritualist wailing and gnashing of teeth over Colbert is quite revealing,' Carr tweeted. 'They're acting like they're losing a loyal DNC spokesperson that was entitled to an exemption from the laws of economics.' Carr's post came the morning after Colbert fired back at Donald Trump for celebrating that the comedian 'got fired,' telling the president to 'go f*** yourself' during a blistering monologue that also saw the host promise that 'the gloves would be off' over his final 10 months on air. On top of that, Carr's mockery of Colbert and his defenders comes just days after the FCC chairman met with David Ellison, the CEO of Skydance Media and the son of pro-Trump billionaire Larry Ellison. According to a regulatory filing, Ellison urged Carr to finalize Skydance's $8.4 billion merger with Paramount, the parent company of CBS that recently settled a 'meritless' lawsuit with Trump over a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. The FCC did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Carr's tweet. open image in gallery Brendan Carr, the chairman of the FCC, mocked critics of CBS' decision to cancel Stephen Colbert's show mere days after meeting with David Ellison about the upcoming Paramount merger. ( AFP via Getty Images ) The meeting between Carr, Ellison and Ellison's legal team took place two days before CBS announced that it was canceling Colbert's show, which Paramount executives claimed was purely a 'financial decision' due to the program's hefty production costs and the dwindling ad revenues for late-night programming on linear television. Asking Carr to 'promptly grant' Paramount's request to transfer control of its broadcast licenses to Skydance while highlighting 'the public interest benefits' of the merger, Ellison's team promised the FCC that CBS would be 'unbiased' under the new corporate leadership. '[W]e explained the Ellison family and RedBird represent fresh leadership with the vision and experience needed to drive New Paramount's long-term growth in the face of the challenges presented by today's media landscape, all while preserving and enhancing the legacy and broad reach of both the national CBS television network and the company's 28 owned-and-operated local television stations,' Ellison's attorney wrote in the filing. 'Relatedly, we discussed Skydance's commitment to unbiased journalism and its embrace of diverse viewpoints, principles that will ensure CBS's editorial decision-making reflects the varied ideological perspectives of American viewers,' the lawyer added. While it has been recently reported that Colbert's show was losing as much as $40 million annually despite being the top-rated show in its time slot, prompting Colbert himself to call out his own network Monday night for leaking the data to justify the cancellation, CBS has been accused of appeasing the Trump administration with the 'politically motivated' move. Especially since Colbert not only has long been critical of Trump, but has also repeatedly blasted Paramount's decision to settle its lawsuit, likening it to bribery in order to grease the wheels of the merger. The Writers Guild of America, which represents the writing staff of The Late Show, said it is concerned that the cancellation 'is a bribe, sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump Administration as the company looks for merger approval.' CBS staffers also aren't buying the company's claims that Colbert's show was canceled due to financial reasons. 'Many of us think this was part and parcel of the Trump shakedown settlement,' one network employee told The Independent. open image in gallery A defiant Stephen Colbert hosts The Late Show on Monday July 21 2025 days after its axing was announced ( The Late Show/CBS ) Meanwhile, several Democratic lawmakers who are already alleging the network is placating Trump with the cancellation have also pressed Ellison about the president's claim that they reached a side deal on the lawsuit settlement. Trump has asserted that, besides the $16 million Paramount agreed to pay, Ellison promised as much as $19 million in pro-Trump advertisements on CBS once the merger is complete. During Colbert's broadcast on Monday night, several other late-night show hosts and celebrities appeared to show support for the CBS star, including The Daily Show's Jon Stewart, who is also rumored to possibly face cancellation amid the merger. In his own passionate and profane monologue on Monday night, Stewart defended his longtime friend while acknowledging that he could soon be on the chopping block himself. At the same time, he called out Paramount for being fearful of Trump and his anti-media crusade. 'And if you believe as corporations or as networks, you can make yourselves so innocuous that you can serve a gruel so flavourless that you will never again be on the boy king's radar,' Stewart proclaimed. 'Why will anyone watch you? And – you are f***ing wrong.' Carr, who serves as Trump's own personal 'attack dog' against the legacy media, has long been a fierce critic of the mainstream press and has opened or threatened several investigations into media companies over their news coverage. Earlier this spring, Carr said 'all options remain on the table' in his agency's ongoing 'news distortion' probe of CBS News over the 60 Minutes interview behind the president's lawsuit. Months later, Paramount would reach its settlement with the president. Meanwhile, Carr's tweet prompted centrist pundit Matthew Yglesias to note that the FCC chief 'should clear the air' over whether The Late Show's cancellation is playing a factor in his decision to approve the Paramount-Skydance deal. 'I think the fact that it's been widely reported in the business press that Paramount believes settling lawsuits with Trump is key to winning merger approval from your agency is influencing some people's understanding of the Colbert situation,' Yglesias wrote, leading Carr to react with a wind blowing face emoji.
