Seth Meyers reveals concern about his show being canceled: 'I would worry about myself'

USA Today

4 days ago

Seth Meyers has some concerns about the future of "Late Night."
The comedian, 51, spoke about his fears that his NBC show could be canceled in a conversation with Dax Shepard on the "Armchair Expert" podcast released on Monday, July 28. Meyers, who hosts "Late Night" after Jimmy Fallon's "The Tonight Show," noted it's a precarious time for late-night television.
"I shifted from fearing that I wouldn't be good enough, and now, my fear is weirdly more outside of my control, which is at some point, the ecosystem might not support it," he said. "I guess that's better than thinking it's your fault, but it is weird to not feel any control over it."
Meyers continued, "This isn't the best time to be doing what I'm doing, but at least I got in."
The "Saturday Night Live" alum also said he would "worry about myself mental health-wise" if the show were to be canceled. But he noted that he "put a lot of thought into diversifying my skill set" by hosting podcasts and continuing to perform stand-up, so he's in a good position if the show ends.
"There's no one entity that can take everything away at once, and I think that's the scariest situation to be in," he said.
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The podcast with Meyers was released in the wake of CBS' shock decision to cancel "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." Rather than finding a new host, the network has opted to end the show entirely in May 2026.
CBS has maintained the move was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night." While Meyers' show airs on NBC, which does not have the same parent company as CBS, the news has sparked questions about whether other late-night television shows will face the same fate.
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Meyers reacted to the "Late Show" cancellation in a July 18 Instagram post, writing that "for as great a comedian and host as he is," Colbert "is an ever better person."
"I'm going to miss having him on TV every night, but I'm excited to can no longer use the excuse that he's 'too busy to hang out' with me," he joked.
Meyers later showed support for Colbert by appearing on "Late Show" in a sketch alongside fellow TV hosts Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver and Jon Stewart.
Meyers isn't the only host who has been mulling his show's future.
In a July 17 episode of his podcast, released before the "Late Show" axing was announced, Stewart answered a question from a listener about whether "The Daily Show" could be canceled. The show airs on Comedy Central, which is owned by CBS parent company Paramount. Stewart said he was unsure but speculated that Comedy Central would keep his show due to a dearth of other original programming.
"Without 'The Daily Show,' Comedy Central is kind of like muzak at this point," he said. "I think we're the only life that exists on a current basis, other than 'South Park.' It's the only thing on there. I like to think we bring enough value to the property. … But that may not be their consideration."