Piers Morgan has hit out at Stephen Colbert following the cancellation of The Late Show, claiming that most US late-night hosts are now “hyper-partisan activist hacks” and that “more will follow” in his footsteps.
The British broadcaster’s comments come after Colbert’s US talk show, which he has presented since 2015, was cancelled by the US broadcaster CBS, in what his supporters believe was a politically motivated act due to the host’s criticism of Donald Trump.
On Sunday (27 July), Morgan shared the cover of the New York Post, which criticised Colbert for how many so-called “leftist” guests he had featured on the show since 2022.
Reacting to the story, Morgan wrote: “This is so damning. Most of America’s biggest late-night hosts have become nothing more than hyper-partisan activist hacks for the Democrats – a party that’s rarely been more unpopular. No wonder Colbert got canned. More will follow.”
This is so damning. Most of America’s biggest late-night hosts have become nothing more than hyper-partisan activist hacks for the Democrats - a party that’s rarely been more unpopular. No wonder Colbert got canned. More will follow. pic.twitter.com/biHIQBNCxu
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) July 27, 2025
The 60-year-old doubled down on his stance by agreeing with comments by the US late-night TV legend Jay Leno, who disagreed with the political nature of many modern talk shows.
Leno reportedly said in an interview with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute: “I love political humour, don’t get me wrong. But it’s just what happens when people wind up cosying too much to one side or the other. Why shoot for just half an audience all the time? You know, why not try to get the whole? I mean, I like to bring people into the big picture.”
Morgan later criticised John Oliver after he watched a 60 Minutes interview with the Last Week Tonight presenter. “Just watched a drooling @60Minutes segment tonight about John Oliver, who was proud of telling his viewers not to vote for Trump at the last election,” Morgan wrote. “He told them to vote for Kamala Harris instead. That’s not comedy, it’s partisan political activism.”
Colbert’s The Late Show was axed earlier this month in what CBS described as a “financial decision”.
But many of Colbert’s fans and supporters, including high-profile names including David Letterman and Elizabeth Warren, questioned the timing of the decision. The announcement came shortly after Paramount, the parent company of CBS News, agreed to pay Donald Trump $16m to settle the president’s lawsuit against the company over the editing of a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris, which the network’s lawyers deemed “meritless” in recent court filings.
Trump has gloated over The Late Show’s cancellation on social media, writing: “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next.”
