The news that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was being axed by CBS came as a shock announcement last year. Fans were aghast. Colbert himself was stunned. After 11 seasons, his show will be gone for good on Thursday, May 21.
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Rumors swirled at the time that Stephen Colbert was being shown to the door by the network because Paramount, the parent company of CBS, was working on a mega-merger with Skydance. It needed a thumbs-up from the Trump administration. Colbert has been a sharp-tongued critic of the president. Some wondered if he got the boot to appease Trump, thus facilitating the big corporate deal. That impression was underscored by Paramount's payout of $16 million to the Trump administration "to settle a controversial lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview," per The Hollywood Reporter. However, CBS said the decision to part ways with Stephen Colbert was simply financial.
With the lights almost out for his long-running nighttime talkfest, Colbert spoke to the outlet about his future plans and his replacement.
What Colbert Said About His Successor
Colbert, 61, is being gracious (to some) to the very end. He deflected concerns about him and his next steps. "What is there to complain about, really? I knew that the show had to end at some time. I did not expect it to end this way. But my staff are the only people I'm worried about."
Furthermore, Stephen Colbert chatted about his replacement, comedian Byron Allen. Allen's show Comics Unleashed will take over Colbert's time slot. "God bless him. I know Byron. We got to know each other last year, actually. He's fascinating...Anyway, when I found out [he was replacing me], I wrote him the next morning and I said, "Hey, congrats. I heard you got the time [slot]. Good for you."
He Isn't Being Idle These Days
Colbert is not apparently moping about his show's imminent demise. He is evidently staying busy, personally and professionally. His son has his college graduation coming up, Colbert's brother is going to be married in Washington, D.C. And he is "co-writing an installment of the Lord of the Rings franchise," according to the outlet.
