By Molly Claire Goddard
6:58am PDT, Jul 18, 2025
_
CBS officially canceled
The Late Show after 33 years.
Stephen Colbert shockingly
announced the program will be coming to an end in May 2026, following the company's controversial settlement with
Donald Trump for $16 million and their need for approval from the Federal Communications Commission for Paramount's merger with Skydance.
Keep reading to learn why the television staple is coming to an end…MORE:
Follow Wonderwall on MSN for more top news
_
During a taping,
Stephen Colbert told the studio audience at the
Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City that the iconic show would be coming to an end next year.
"It is a fantastic job. I wish somebody else was getting it," the comedian lamented over CBS' decision, while noting that he learned the news "just last night."
While there is much controversy surrounding CBS' move, Colbert added, "I do want to say that the folks at CBS have been great partners. I'm so grateful to the Tiffany Network for giving me this chair and this beautiful theater to call home."
The 61-year-old took over the program from
David Letterman in 2015. The 78-year-old had hosted the show since 1993.
_
CBS claimed the move was due to financial constraints.
"This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night," CBS Studios President David Stapf, CBS Entertainment President Amy Reisenbach, and CBS President and CEO George Cheeks said in a joint statement. "It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount."
_
The end of The Late Show comes as CBS controversially settled a $16 million lawsuit brought by Donald Trump after he accused the network of election interference for the editing of a 60 Minutes interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Despite CBS claiming politics and business relations had no influence on their decision to end the program, the company will need the approval of the commander-in-chief and his administration as their parent company, Paramount, is trying to be acquired by Skydance. The move will need the sign off by the Federal Communications Commission.
_
Stephen Colbert has been an outspoken critic of Donald Trump and his administration.
"As someone who has always been a proud employee of this network, I'm offended and I don't know if anything will ever repair my trust in this company," the host said during an episode of
The Late Show, while calling it a "big, fat bribe."
