“It definitely was hemorrhaging money”: Full Frontal with Samantha Bee host supports the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Since the news of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert being cancelled hit the public on July 17, 2025, there has been a lot of backlash and criticism over the political ramifications of such an incident.

Created by David Letterman, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, is a late-night news and talk show hosted by Colbert and is a part of the Late Show franchise. The show has been on air for 33 years, first being hosted by Letterman and then by Colbert, and is considered one of the most influential late-night shows on television.

However, controversy erupted when the show’s channel partner, CBS, announced that it will cancel the show altogether in May 2026. While the channel executives state that the decision has been taken from “purely” a financial viewpoint and the decision is “not related in any way to the show’s performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount”, the public and other celebrities are finding this hard to believe.

The US President Donald Trump’s supposed involvement has created controversy. Many have noted that the decision comes three days after CBS’ parent company Paramount had a $16 million settlement with the President over the station’s controversial “60 Minutes” interview of Kamala Harris during the 2024 Presidential election campaign. Further, Paramount and Skydance are also merging.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has a strong focus on discussing and satirizing current events in American politics and the cancellation is being deemed as a threat to democracy. Amidst the outcry by the public and other celebrities, Samantha Bee, a former figure in the late-night circuit has a different take.

Samantha Bee on the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Samantha Bee hosted the TBS’s late-night talk show, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee from 2016 to 2022 and has been a major figure in the late-night circuit since many years. In a recent interview for the Breaking Bread with Tom Papa podcast via Variety, Samantha Bee stated that while she agrees that there is an element of CBS cancelling the show to “curry favor with the President”, she also believes that it was a “financial decision.”

Samantha Bee states that “I think both things are true…These legacy shows are hemorrhaging money with no real end to that…in sight, people are just not tuning in.” She continues by noting that “People are on their phones all the time…so they don’t need a recap of the day’s events.”

The veteran host also states that she knows how difficult it is to discuss with a network over matters of politics. She states that not getting into controversy during network mergers was a “constant source of conversation.” Therefore, it was a “no-brainer” for CBS to end The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. “It’s so much easier for them to cut it loose with this merger coming down the pike”. However, she notes that it would have been an “agonizing decision” as they would have to think about how to “float” it. “I’m sure they knew it was happening a long time ago.”

Samantha Bee also pointed out that she loves Stephen and states, “I consider him to be a friend…I think he is amazing.” She called the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, “awful”. However, she understands the decisions behind it as she states, “I’m shocked, not surprised.”

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert causes outcry from the public and celebrities

The cancellation of the show has led to massive protests both online and offline and by normal citizens and celebrities alike. Over the past few days, protests were seen outside the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City, where the show is taped. A petition with over 100,000 signatures has also been circulated. On the other hand, other late-night talk show hosts like Jimmy Fallon have also stated that “I don’t like what’s going on one bit. These are crazy times…”

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The Late Show with Stephen Colbert streams on Paramount+.

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