Stephen Colbert recently discussed his thoughts on CBS cancelling his famous show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. In a detailed interview with GQ, Colbert reveals how The Late Show with Stephen Colbert enjoyed “nine unf****d years” as the number one show.
Stephen Colbert on being number one show
Stephen Colbert did not hold back when discussing his famous talk show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. In an interview with GQ, Colbert revealed his honest thoughts on the show’s golden run and what the future has in store for him.
The interviewer pointed out that The Late Show has been number one since 2016. Colbert revealed what his friend told him: “No, no one’s going to have any thoughts on this. No one’s ever been the number one show for nine years in a row and then been canceled.”
Furthermore, the interviewer prodded and asked how Colbert found out about the show’s cancellation. Colbert confessed he heard about it from his manager, James Dixon. The 61-year-old dodged politically charged questions and heaped praise on CBS, noting how they helped him make The Late Show a success.
Colbert described his relationship with CBS as “great” and said the company has been “supportive.” However, he confessed, “I have had a great relationship with CBS. It’s one of the reasons why this was so surprising and so shocking that there was no preamble to this.”
He also remarked, “I’m in show business. I want to do a good job for the network, and I’m really proud that we could do that for them. And that only made our relationship better. Why do you want to be number one? To brag? No.”
GQ asked if he thinks of himself as competitive, and Colbert quipped, “Well, yeah. Of course, you’re competitive. But I really like the other guys. We’re all friends.”
Continuing further, he added, “The best reason to be number one is that the network does not f*** with you. That is the best reason to be number one. And we enjoyed nine unf****d years. Only supportive. Only great.” Notably, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will go off the air in May 2026.
Originally reported by Anwaya Mane on Mandatory.
