Stephen informed the studio audience himself about the cancellation during a
taping that same day.
CBS publicly stated that the cancellation was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night," emphasizing that it was not related to ratings, content, or Colbert personally, even though the show had been the No. 1 late-night program for years.
The timing, however, triggered speculation about political motives, since the announcement came only days after Colbert sharply criticized CBS's parent company, Paramount, on air for settling a lawsuit brought by Donald Trump for $16 million. At the same time, Paramount was seeking regulatory approval for its merger with Skydance Media, which only POTUS could grant. Critics - including politicians, media commentators, and former host of Late Night David Letterman - questioned whether the cancellation was connected to pressure surrounding that merger and Colbert's anti-Trump commentary.
One day later, POTUS rejoiced and was right with his prediction, for on September 17, 2025, Jimmy Kimmel Live! was suspended "indefinitely" after controversy surrounding comments Jimmy had made on his show about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Massive protests followed. The decisive factor, however, in Disney/ABC's reinstatement of the show on September 23, 2025, was financial pressure, as many Disney Channel subscribers had canceled their subscriptions.
CBS publicly stated that the cancellation was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night," emphasizing that it was not related to ratings, content, or Colbert personally, even though the show had been the No. 1 late-night program for years.
The timing, however, triggered speculation about political motives, since the announcement came only days after Colbert sharply criticized CBS's parent company, Paramount, on air for settling a lawsuit brought by Donald Trump for $16 million. At the same time, Paramount was seeking regulatory approval for its merger with Skydance Media, which only POTUS could grant. Critics - including politicians, media commentators, and former host of Late Night David Letterman - questioned whether the cancellation was connected to pressure surrounding that merger and Colbert's anti-Trump commentary.
One day later, POTUS rejoiced and was right with his prediction, for on September 17, 2025, Jimmy Kimmel Live! was suspended "indefinitely" after controversy surrounding comments Jimmy had made on his show about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Massive protests followed. The decisive factor, however, in Disney/ABC's reinstatement of the show on September 23, 2025, was financial pressure, as many Disney Channel subscribers had canceled their subscriptions.
On Christmas 2025. the season of giving, POTUS rubbed it in.
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| Stephen showed the photo (©CBS) |
In 2023, when the Hollywood writers were on strike, the five hosts joined
for a podcast called Strike Force Five to raise money for their
unemployed staff members.
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Stephen's last show on May 21 was full of surprises. A Green Hole
appeared.
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A KI-generated video from the White House was immediate:
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A grinning POTUS dumps Stephen in a garbage container.
Special guest Paul McCartney reflected on the final show in his way: "America has always been the land of freedom and the greatest
democracy - hopefully it still is."
Red Baron keeps the memory of The Late Show in Freiburg alive by walking around in the appropriate T-shirt.
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