Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert Swap Woes on One Another’s Shows

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Jimmy Kimmel Joins The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Jimmy Kimmel recently appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS. He received a warm welcome with loud applause, marking his first interview since ABC put his show on hold last month. “It’s a real honor to be here with another person who, according to some, isn’t very talented and is a late-night failure,” Kimmel playfully said, alluding to insults former President Donald Trump has directed at both of them.

Network executives cancelled the show following Jimmy Kimmel’s opening monologue on Monday, September 15th. The monologue mentioned the recent shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, stating: “Things really reached a new low over the weekend, with supporters of MAGA frantically attempting to portray the person who shot Charlie Kirk as not being one of their own, and trying to gain a political advantage from the situation.”

The Walt Disney Company considered the remark to be poorly timed and lacking in sensitivity, and as a result, put the show on indefinite hold. Describing the experience as a deeply emotional rollercoaster, Kimmel shared that he was getting ready for the next episode when he received the news.

Kimmel recounted how executives told him, “We need to de-escalate things. We’re worried about what you’ll say on the show tonight, so we’ve decided to cancel it.” He explained, “I immediately thought that was it – my career was over. I honestly believed I’d never host again.”

The choice caused widespread public anger, with many people protesting the restriction of free expression and criticizing the Trump administration. A huge number of viewers said they would cancel their Disney+ subscriptions, potentially costing the company billions. Last week, ABC and its stations changed course, and Kimmel was back on television this past Tuesday.

Late Night with Stephen Colbert Cancelled For Good

Kimmel then welcomed his fellow late-night host to Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Colbert was greeted with enthusiastic applause from the audience and joined Kimmel to talk about the definite end of his show. The veteran host explained that his manager told him the news when he got back from a trip. He shared the news with viewers after his show that same day.

I was a total wreck before going on, honestly! There was absolutely nothing in the teleprompter, I was just winging it, you know? Jimmy Kimmel told me later that the crew started urging me on – ‘You can do it, Stephen!’ – because I kept stumbling over the line that was *supposed* to tell everyone what was going on. Then I finally got to the actual sentence explaining what was happening, and… crickets. They didn’t laugh at all! It was rough, I’m telling you. It really was.

CBS first announced this decision in July, stating that the show would conclude in May 2026. The network explained the cancellation was due to financial considerations, but many viewers don’t believe that’s the whole story. Interestingly, the announcement came shortly after Stephen Colbert criticized CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, for reaching a $16 million settlement with President Trump. Unlike Jimmy Kimmel’s show, which is expected to return, Colbert’s program will end permanently.

On Tuesday night, both Kimmel and Colbert discussed their friendship during their shows. This special late-night event also included visits from fellow late-night hosts like Jimmy Fallon, Jon Stewart, John Oliver, and Seth Meyers. They ended the night with a toast celebrating “good friends, great jobs, and late-night TV.”

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2025-10-04 01:33