Colbert shares 'emotional moment' in his career | The Express Tribune
Key Takeaways
- Stephen Colbert found telling his staff and audience about The Late Show's cancellation to be one of the most difficult moments of his career.
- He learned the news on July 16 from their shared manager, James Dixon, and decided to announce it the next day.
- Colbert first informed his executive producer and then gathered the staff privately on Zoom after the taping.
- He admitted to being so nervous while speaking off-the-cuff that he messed up his announcement twice.
- The audience initially thought the announcement was a comedy bit until Colbert delivered the actual news, marking the end of the show in May 2026.
Stephen Colbert shared the emotional difficulty of announcing the cancellation of The Late Show with his staff and audience during a joint appearance with Jimmy Kimmel. He first received the news from their shared manager, James Dixon, on July 16 and decided to tell his team the following day after his wife's encouragement. Colbert arrived at the studio so anxious that he sweated through his shirt, first informing executive producer Tom Purcell before proceeding with the scheduled taping. Afterward, he insisted on gathering everyone for an unscheduled final segment, first addressing the staff privately on Zoom. He admitted to stumbling over his words twice while speaking off-the-cuff to the audience, who initially reacted with laughter, thinking it was a joke. The mood shifted only when he delivered the definitive sentence announcing the end of the show, which will conclude in May 2026 after 30 years on CBS.
