W hen CBS embarked on the project of replacing David Letterman as the host of The Late Show, in 2014, the network spared no expense. It hired Stephen Colbert, who had collected Emmys and acclaim while hosting his Comedy Central talk show,

CBS will end "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" and retire "The Late Show" franchise in May 2026, the company announced Thursday, calling it "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.

“Given Paramount’s recent capitulation to President Trump in the CBS News lawsuit, the Writers Guild of America has significant concerns that The Late Show’s cancelation is a bribe, sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump Administration as the company looks for merger approval,” it noted (see full statement below).

Liberal celebrities and politicians mourned the cancellation of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" as CBS claims the decision is purely financial and unrelated to the show's content.

Prominent political figures as well as Hollywood stars have reacted with disgust over the news that 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' will end its run in 2026.