Jimmy Kimmel has openly criticized CBS after the network announced that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end in May 2026 after running for 10 seasons. The entire Late Show franchise will also be retired. However, the cause seems to be up in the air, as ratings were good, and CBS recently settled a lawsuit with Trump.
The host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! shared his strong disapproval on Instagram, writing, “Love you Stephen. F*** you and all your Sheldons CBS.” This harsh comment appears to be a reference to CBS’s hit show The Big Bang Theory, its spinoff Young Sheldon, and the spinoff of that show, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, and the upcoming Big Bang Theory spinoff with the reported name Stuart Fails to Save the Universe. All of which are based in the TV universe of Sheldon Cooper.
According to TMZ, CBS explained that the decision was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night” and stressed that it was “not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.” The network was referring to its parent company, Paramount Global.
Jimmy Kimmel takes a shot at CBS
The cancellation comes soon after Colbert publicly spoke out against Paramount Global’s $16 million settlement of Donald Trump’s lawsuit regarding the editing of a CBS News 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. Colbert had called the settlement a “big fat bribe,” suggesting it was connected to Paramount Global’s upcoming multibillion-dollar sale to Skydance, which still needs federal approval.
Despite the controversial timing, Colbert showed no hard feelings toward CBS or Paramount when he made the announcement on Thursday’s episode of The Late Show. He thanked his band and 200 staff members, saying, “We get to do this show for each other — every day, all day. And I’ve had the pleasure and responsibility of sharing what we do every day with you in front of this camera for the last 10 years.”
Jimmy Kimmel Tears Into CBS for Canceling Colbert https://t.co/MqKcI0d7La pic.twitter.com/fauRYsp2lc
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It’s not hard to see CBS as trying to appease Trump, and those who rallied against the president would be hurting that situation. Colbert took over The Late Show in 2015 after David Letterman, who had hosted for more than 20 years. Colbert said he looks forward to continuing the show with the “usual gang of idiots for another 10 months.”
