Agencies Washington

“The Late Show” with Stephen Colbert will end in May 2026 at the conclusion of its current broadcast season, CBS announced on Thursday in a statement. It called the cancellation “purely a financial decision.”

“It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount,” the network said, describing it as an “agonizing decision.” Colbert took over as host, executive producer and writer of the show in 2015. Colbert told the audience at a Thursday taping that he found out about the cancellation the previous night. “I share your feelings,” he said, when the crowd booed after his announcement.

He said it was the end of “The Late Show,” not just his stint at its helm. “I’m not being replaced. This is all just going away,” Colbert said. He added that he was “extraordinarily, deeply grateful to the 200 people who work here.” CBS staffers were caught off guard by the announcement. “We are flabbergasted,” said one staffer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment.

The announcement came days after Colbert spoke out against the decision earlier this month by Paramount, the parent company of CBS News, to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Donald Trump during last year’s presidential campaign.“As someone who has always been a proud employee of this network, I am offended. And I don’t know if anything will ever repair my trust in this company.”