The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will be taken off CBS next May after airing on screens for three decades. Presenter Stephen, who has been hosting the popular American programme for the past 10 years, announced the update during Thursday night’s taping. He admitted to a shocked audience he had only been told the crushing news the previous night.

As the upset crowd booed and jeered over the announcement as he told them with a heavy heart: “Yeah, I share your feelings. It’s not just the end of the show; it is the end of the Late Show on CBS. I’m not being replaced; this is all just going away.”

“Let me tell you, it is a fantastic job,” Stephen added. “I wish someone else were getting it. And it is a job I am looking forward to doing with this usual gang of idiots for another 10 months.”

The host took over the hit show from David Letterman, who had been at the helm for 22 years. The Late Show’s ratings have remained consistently high, and its slot is usually the highest-rated programme.

The blow comes as CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, attempts to finalise a merger with Skydance, after the deal fell apart in 2024.

Paramount also just settled a lawsuit submitted by US Pres1dent D0nald Truᴍp against CBS News. Stephen, who is a vocal critic of the world leader, branded it a “big fat bride” on The Late Show earlier this week. “Paramount knows they could have fought it,” Stephen shared on Tuesday.

A senator, named Elizabeth Warren, has called for an investigation into Paramount Global’s relationship with the Pres1dent over the Skydance merger.

Meanwhile, Senator Adam Schiff said on the show: “If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.”

However, a CBS spokesperson said the axing was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night”.

They added: “It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”

Fans of the show have taken to X to share their theories, with one writing: “It’s his obsession with Truᴍp – don’t pretend you didn’t see this coming. Ratings are on the floor. Make Late Night Shows Comedy again, not biased politics.”

Another claimed: “So this is censorship by Truᴍp huh? His ratings are one of the best.” A third said: “Colbert being cancelled doesn’t make sense…”

Another shared: “It’s been a long time coming. Network says it was “purely a financial decision” which means one of two things: 1) it was, meaning his ratings/mindshare had dropped significantly; or, 2) it was political, which seems likely given who Stephen is.”