“Well, at least for tonight”: Jimmy Fallon expresses his concern around the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

The recent furor over the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has led to Colbert’s fellow late-night hosts also expressing their concern over the political ramifications of the show’s end.

As Jimmy Fallon began the Monday episode of his show, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, he quickly quipped,

“I am your host… well, at least for tonight,” the comedian added,

referencing the recent cancellation of the CBS show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The comedian also added that he didn’t like what was happening, mentioning,

“I don’t like what’s going on one bit. These are crazy times…”

The reason for the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Jimmy Fallon’s recent views come in light of Stephen Colbert and CBS announcing last week that the long-running late-night show will come to an end in May 2026. Created by David Letterman, who previously hosted the show, the Late Show franchise has been airing since 1993.

“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of the broadcast season,” Paramount co-CEO and CBS president and CEO George Cheeks, CBS Entertainment head Amy Reisenbach, and CBS Studios president David Stapf said in a statement.

The cancellation comes on the heels of CBS’ parent company, Paramount Global, hoping to close a deal with Skydance in the near future. However, the company also recently settled a lawsuit that was filed last year by Donald Trump, which many believe is the reason for the cancellation of the show.

In the past few days, protestors have arrived in droves outside the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City, where the show is filmed, and have stated that the cancellation of the show is a sign that the Trump administration wants to clamp down on any media that criticizes the government.

Even though Paramount and CBS maintain in their official statements that it is “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night” and that “it is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount,” celebrities and the public are not satisfied.

Jimmy Fallon on the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Jimmy Fallon continued to mention in his Monday episode that “CBS could lose millions of viewers,” even though he said it in a humorous manner. Fallon also went on to praise Colbert for his years of hard work and his many Emmy accolades. The morning after the news of the cancellation, Fallon stated that

“I’m just as shocked as everyone, Stephen is one of the sharpest, funniest hosts…”

Apart from Jimmy Fallon, there has been a slew of support for Colbert and his show from various quarters of Hollywood. From Sally Field to Adam Sandler, celebrities have poured out in support of Stephen Colbert.

It was reported on July 17, 2025, that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will be coming to an end in May 2026 after being on air for more than 30 years. Stephen Colbert broke the news by saying that “I’m not being replaced. This is all just going away.”

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The show streams on Paramount+.

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