Stephen Colbert is not letting the cancellation of The Late Show get him down. Last week, CBS made the decision to pull the plug on Colbert’s late-night talk show, but he is not going out without a fight. In a show of solidarity, Colbert’s late night competitors, including Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Jon Stewart, John Oliver, Andy Cohen, and Anderson Cooper, showed up in the audience during the Monday episode to show their support for Colbert.
During the show, Colbert brought out Lin-Manuel Miranda and “Weird Al” Yankovic to perform a number to lift the spirits of the studio audience. As they started singing Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida,” the camera panned to various celebrities in the audience enjoying the performance. Adam Sandler raised a toast, Andy Cohen planted a kiss on Anderson Cooper, and Jon Stewart and John Oliver looked surprised to be on camera.
The performance was interrupted by a cartoon version of President Donald Trump, from Colbert’s animated series Our Cartoon President, embracing the CBS parent company Paramount’s logo. Colbert took a jab at CBS and Paramount, jokingly informing Miranda and Yankovic that their song had been canceled due to a “purely financial decision.”
Speculation arose that the cancellation of The Late Show may have been politically motivated after Colbert criticized Paramount for settling a lawsuit with Trump. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders even questioned the timing of Colbert’s firing, suggesting it was not a coincidence.
In his opening monologue, Colbert addressed the speculation, questioning how it could be a purely financial decision when The Late Show was number one in ratings. He vowed to speak the unvarnished truth to power in the remaining months before the show goes off the air in May 2026.
Colbert also responded to Trump’s celebratory post about his cancellation, expressing his disbelief at being called untalented. He also reassured Jimmy Kimmel that he was not next on the chopping block, joking that there’s only room for one martyr on the cross.
As Colbert continues to navigate the aftermath of the cancellation, he remains determined to use his platform to speak truth to power and entertain his audience with his signature wit and humor. The show must go on, even when faced with unexpected challenges.
