Stephen Colbert Opens Up on His Hit Show’s Cancellation

"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" will end in 2026, and a decades-long legacy will end with it. What began in 1993 with David Letterman and turned into a nationally-beloved show and world-renowned program will run its final episode next April.

In a new interview, host Stephen Colbert reacted to Paramount and CBS' decision to cancel the show, despite it being well-received by audiences and critics.

“Listen, every show’s got to end at some time,” Colbert said in an interview with GQ.

“And I’ve been on a bunch of shows that have ended sometimes by our lights and sometimes by the decision of other people. That’s just the nature of show business. You can’t worry about that. You got to be a big boy about that. But I think we’re the first number one show to ever get cancelled.”

Why Was 'The Late Show' Canceled?

CBS CEO George Cheeks said that the economics involved with advertising on late night didn't justify the costs associated with running the show.

“The challenge in late night is that the advertising marketplace is in significant secular decline,” Cheeks noted. “We are huge fans of Colbert, we love the show. Unfortunately the economics made it a challenge for us to keep going.”

When "After Midnight" host Taylor Tomlinson declined to return for another season in the later time slot, Cheeks said the network elected to pull out of the late-night business altogether.

Some argued that the show was canceled in response to Paramount's settlement with Donald Trump, citing Colbert's content in which he has been critical of the President.

Colbert's Direct Response to the Cancellation

“I think one day, if not today, the people at CBS who have manipulated and handled this are going to be embarrassed. This is gutless," David Letterman, Colbert's predecessor, said.

Colbert said that he couldn't make any definitive statements on why Paramount settled, but he noted that Paramount's own lawyers say the lawsuit levied against the company was "completely without merit."

“It is self-evident that that is damaging to the reputation of the network, the corporation, and the news division," Colbert told GQ. "So it is unclear to me why anyone would do that other than to curry favor with a single individual.”

Colbert's next move has yet to be announced, but he will continue to host "The Late Show" four nights a week until April.