Jimmy Kimmel has come to the defence of his fellow late-night host, Stephen Colbert, following the announcement that CBS has decided to cancel The Late Show.
The network confirmed on Thursday (17 July) that the long-running franchise would come to an end, describing the host as “irreplaceable” and citing a “financial decision”.
In response to the news, Kimmel, who hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC, sent his support to Colbert. In an Instagram story, the 57-year-old wrote: “Love you, Stephen. F*** you and all your Sheldons, CBS.”
Kimmel’s words appear to be a nod towards the CBS show The Big Bang Theory, which has spawned several spin-offs, including Young Sheldon and Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage. Another spin-off, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, was announced earlier this month.
In a joint statement to CBS News, Paramount and CBS bosses said: “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of the broadcast season. We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire The Late Show franchise at that time.
“We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television.”
The statement continued: “This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”
Colbert broke the news to the audience during the taping of Thursday night’s show, saying: “I want to let you know something I found out just last night. Next year will be our last season. The network will be ending The Late Show in May.”
To resounding boos from his fans in the audience over the show’s cancellation, the comedian and TV personality added: “Yeah! I share your feelings. It's the end of The Late Show on CBS. I'm not being replaced. This is all just going away.”
Colbert made his name on Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show on Comedy Central. He has hosted The Late Show since 2015, replacing David Letterman in the role. The show is recorded at the Ed Sullivan Theatre in Manhattan, New York City.
The most recent ratings from Nielsen show Colbert as winning his time slot, with about 2.417 million viewers across 41 new episodes. It also said the late night show was the only one in the genre to gain viewers so far this year.
