Stephen Colbert Reflects on ‘The Late Show’ Ending and What’s Next: “We’re the First Number One Show to Ever Get Canceled”

Stephen Colbert has opened up about the upcoming end of The Late Show, his feelings about the cancellation, and what he hopes to do next.

In an interview with GQ at the Chateau Marmont, the comedian admitted he was surprised by CBS’s decision to end the show, even though it was number one in its timeslot.

“Listen, every show’s got to end at some time. 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 canceled,” Colbert said. He added that the show’s final episode, scheduled for May, still feels far off.

CBS called the cancellation a financial decision, saying late-night television is no longer profitable. Colbert, however, pointed out that it came shortly after he criticized Paramount Global’s $16 million settlement with Donald Trump, calling it a “big fat bribe.”

“I can understand why people would have that reaction because CBS or the parent corporation—I’m not going to say who made that decision, because I don’t know; no one’s ever going to tell us—decided to cut a check for $16 million to the president of the United States over a lawsuit that their own lawyers said is completely without merit,” Colbert said.

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

Despite the surprise, Colbert said he has had a good working relationship with CBS. “It’s one of the reasons why this was so surprising and so shocking that there was no preamble to this. We do budgets and everything like that. We’ve done cuts and stuff like that. So that’s why it was surprising to me,” he said.

“They’ve been great partners. They really have. They’ve been very supportive…We found it and we delivered for them what we wanted. I want to do a good job.”

Colbert also admitted that ending the show brings a sense of relief. “There was a sense of relief that I might not have to put on the snorkel and get into the sewer every day,” he joked. He added that he wants to finish the show gracefully but doesn’t yet know exactly how.

Looking ahead, Colbert said he still wants to create new projects. “I love creating things and I still want to work with the people I work with. I love making things,” he said, noting that he hopes to continue collaborating with his team of more than 200 people. Some speculation suggests he could launch a new show on YouTube and bring a portion of The Late Show’s 10 million subscribers with him.

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