“That’s how you get a whole audience”: Former Tonight Show host Jay Leno opens up amidst The Late Show With Stephen Colbert cancellation

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert made its premiere in September 2015. Filmed at New York City's Ed Sullivan Theater, the program is notable for its focus on political humor and current events.

For nine consecutive years as of 2025, the program has achieved the highest ratings of any late-night talk show in the US, and after 33 years on the network, CBS announced on July 17, 2025, that it will be ending The Late Show.

After The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ended, Jay Leno shared his opinions on late-night comedy, and he shared his own career as an example of inclusive, nonpartisan comedy. Leno stressed balanced humor and encouraged performers to bring audiences together via laughter rather than division.

More about Jay Leno and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

Just as CBS announced that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will no longer run, former Tonight Show host Jay Leno recently revealed his thoughts on the state of late-night television.

Despite not explicitly addressing the cancellation, Leno's comments about political humor have sparked interest. This is especially at a time when the entertainment business is experiencing substantial changes.

In an interview with David Trulio, president of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, Leno discussed the perils of politicizing late-night humor, and he mainly explained that he made a point of balancing his jokes throughout his time on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. Leno recalled,

“I got hate letters saying, ‘You and your Republican friends,’ and others saying, ‘You and your Democratic buddies,’ all about the same joke. That’s how you get a whole audience. Now you have to be content with half the audience, because you have to give your opinion.”

Leno’s approach was always about reaching as many people as possible. He said,

“People come to a comedy show to get away from the pressures of life. Political humor can be great, but not when it pushes people away. Why settle for half the audience when you can try to connect with everyone?”

Jay Leno said that his longtime buddy and comedic great Rodney Dangerfield never talked politics with him on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and claimed that they were simply discussing jokes.

Leno has stated that he built his career around this principle, stating that he hosted NBC's The Tonight Show from 1992 to 2009 and again from 2010 to 2014. He rose to prominence as one of the most popular TV hosts in the United States, and this was achieved with his clean and simple sense of humor.

His recent remarks come at a time when many feel late-night shows have become too political. CBS announced on July 17 that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert would end in May 2026. The network stated the move was due to financial pressures and not related to Colbert’s performance or content.

However, many fans believe politics played a role. Colbert has been openly critical of former President Donald Trump and had recently mocked a legal settlement in which CBS and its parent company, Paramount, paid Trump $16 million to settle a lawsuit over an edited interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. Not long after, CBS confirmed the show’s cancellation.

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