Stephen Colbert shared his true thoughts on his show ending—and addressed speculation that he could enter the political sphere—with fellow late-night host Seth Meyers.
Colbert appeared on NBC’s Late Night With Seth Meyers on Tuesday, where Meyers jokingly blindsided Colbert with the news that his show had been cancelled. Following a dramatic spit-take, the two hosts got to talking about what life looks like when The Late Show ends on May 21.
“It feels real now,” Colbert said. “I know it was real, but now there’s four months left.”
“I’m not thrilled with it,” he admitted.
Colbert continued to speak about his show and what it means to him. While the host didn’t get overtly emotional, his attachment to his staff was made clear.
“There’s no place like the Ed Sullivan Theater,” he told Meyers, referring to The Late Show’s historic Broadway home. “But it’s really the people. That’s really what I care about. And that’s really what I’m going to miss more than anything.”
Meyers agreed with Colbert, saying that “neither” of them takes their jobs for granted. Meyers also paid a heartfelt tribute to Colbert.
“When I was in Chicago, I saw you onstage at Second City, and you blew my mind, and you were the kind of person that I wanted to do what you were doing,” Meyers told him. “You’ve been really inspirational to me for a very long time, and I’m really grateful to know you and to both be your colleague and your friend. You’re a very special person. So I just want to say thank you.”
The two comedians also ran through the many ideas surrounding what Colbert, 61, will do next. These ranged from writing a book about his longtime favorite writer, J.R.R. Tolkien, to starting separate shows with Rachel Maddow, Tom Hanks, and Simon Cowell, to a $13.5 million deal with Netflix. Colbert jokingly responded to each tidbit of information.
“I’m neither going to confirm nor deny any of these, or many of these,” he said. “‘Cause I got to keep my options open.”
They also addressed speculation that he will run for president in 2028, a rumor Colbert has been asked about many times.
“If there is some way for me to serve the American people in some way that could possibly be greater than a late-night television show,” Colbert said to Meyers and a laughing audience, “I would consider that.”
At one point, Colbert even told Meyers he would consider working with Saturday Night Live’s Lorne Michaels. “Would you tell him I’m available in June?” he asked the SNL alum.
Colbert revealed to Meyers that his CBS show will air its final episode on Thursday, May 21. In July, CBS announced that The Late Show would end after its current season. The network’s leadership has said this was “purely a financial decision,” but the decision has raised questions. The show was cancelled just three days after Colbert called out his network’s parent company, Paramount, for settling a lawsuit with Donald Trump.
CBS is ending The Late Show after a 33-year run. Colbert hosted the show since 2015, taking over from predecessor David Letterman.
