John Oliver Says ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' Cancellation Is ‘Incredibly Sad': ‘Terrible News for the World of Comedy'
The 'Last Week Tonight' host was asked about the news by the Associated Press on Sunday at the first game of the Erie Moon Mammoths, a minor league baseball team rebranded by Oliver and his staff.
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'Obviously I love Stephen, I love the staff, I love that show. It's incredibly sad,' Oliver said. 'I'm partly excited to see what they're going to do for the next 10 months, but yeah it's terrible, terrible news for the world of comedy.'
In addition to being part of late-night himself, Oliver had been a consistent guest on Colbert's 'Late Show' over the years. It was announced on Thursday that the show will end in May 2026 after 33 years on air, with CBS citing a 'purely financial decision.' However, there has also been speculation that the politically outspoken Colbert and 'Daily Show' host Jon Stewart could be under scrutiny as Skydance Media — led by the Trump-lauded David Ellison — prepares to acquire CBS parent company Paramount Global.
'Late-night shows mean a lot to me, not just because I work in them, but because even growing up in England, I would watch Letterman's show, which of course was Stephen's show and think what a glamorous world that was,' Oliver continued. 'So to have gotten to be on Letterman's show and on Stephen's show is always one of the most fun things.'
He concluded that it's 'very, very sad news' but he's 'looking forward to seeing what [Colbert's] going to do next because that man will not stop.'
Oliver joins Jimmy Kimmel in late-night hosts reacting to the news, who posted on his Instagram Story on Thursday night: 'Love you Stephen. Fuck you and all your Sheldons CBS.'
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