Jimmy Kimmel is surprised by cancellation of Stephen Colbert's show

TV host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel shared a surprising reaction on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, calling out CBS for cancelling Colbert’s series in May 2026 and retiring the Late Show brand.

On Thursday, July 17, Colbert announced during the show that The Late Show would be coming to an end.

Following the announcement, CBS confirmed the cancellation, stating that the decision was “purely financial against a challenging backdrop in late night,” and clarified that “it is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount.”

The news sent shockwaves through Hollywood, including Jimmy Kimmel, who shared a clip of Colbert’s on-air announcement via his Instagram Story.

“Love you Stephen,” Kimmel wrote. “F*** you and all your Sheldons, CBS.”

With the rise of digital media and the OTT boom in recent years, the traditional late-night format has experienced a steep decline.

CBS’s decision came roughly two weeks after Paramount agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Donald Trump, a case the company had previously dismissed as “meritless.” The former president had accused 60 Minutes of deceptively editing an interview with then–vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

The timing of the cancellation, coupled with the Trump settlement, has fueled widespread speculation among media commentators that networks are self-censoring and yielding to political pressure from President Trump.

Colbert has been an outspoken critic of Trump since the launch of his Late Show in 2015.

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