Stephen Colbert’s daughter has resigned from her position at 60 Minutes, ending a nearly four-year tenure that apparently flew under the radar of much of the viewing public.
Madeleine Carlisle recently submitted her notice as an associate producer for the long-running CBS newsmagazine, according to The New York Post.
Carlisle is Colbert’s eldest child with his wife, Evelyn McGee-Colbert. She uses a different surname professionally, which may explain why her connection to the former Late Show host received relatively little attention during her time at CBS.
The logo for 60 Minutes – YouTube, CBS Evening News
According to her LinkedIn profile, Carlisle began working at CBS News as an intern in 2017. She later wrote for The Atlantic and Time before returning to the network in 2022. She spent approximately four years working behind the scenes at 60 Minutes.
Oliver Darcy, who first reported her departure in his Status newsletter, described Carlisle as a “well-regarded” associate producer. Neither Carlisle nor CBS has publicly explained why she decided to leave.
The Colbert Family’s Long Relationship With CBS
Carlisle’s departure comes less than three months after her father hosted the final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
CBS announced the program’s cancellation in July 2025, citing “purely financial decisions” and the “challenging backdrop in late night.” The reality may have been far worse: The show was reportedly losing the network approximately $40 million per year. However, Colbert and his supporters repeatedly suggested that the decision was political.
The announcement arrived shortly after Colbert criticized Paramount for paying $16 million to settle President Donald Trump’s lawsuit over the editing of a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. Paramount was seeking regulatory approval for its merger with Skydance at the time.
President Donald Trump in a 2020 interview – 60 Minutes, YouTube
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It has now become apparent that the cancellation did not immediately sever the Colbert family’s ties to the network. While the comedian prepared to leave late-night television, his daughter remained employed by the CBS program at the center of the controversy.
Her resignation means that two members of the Colbert family have departed the network within three months—one quietly and the other extremely publicly.
Critics Question Carlisle’s Role at 60 Minutes
The revelation that Stephen Colbert’s daughter worked at 60 Minutes was met with surprise online. Yet given her father’s highly political, left-leaning brand of comedy, many critics of the newsmagazine were hardly shocked.
Stephen Colbert’s daughter has been working at 60 minutes?
😂That helps explain😂😂😂 https://t.co/3Z3VOidNIV
— Joe Dan Gorman (@JoeDanMedia) August 5, 2026
“Stephen Colbert’s daughter has been working at 60 minutes?” one user wrote on X. “That helps explain.”
I’m sure she was just as neutral as her good old dad https://t.co/E3h6JSIoS9
— Dan Gainor (@dangainor) August 6, 2026
Dan Gainor, a freelance opinion editor for Fox, wrote, “I’m sure she was just as neutral as her good old dad.”
Many others suggested that Carlisle’s family connections secured her position at 60 Minutes more than her journalistic qualifications. With CBS News now under the leadership of Bari Weiss and the program overseen by new executive producer Nick Bilton, those critics believe new standards may be in place.
I assume the talent is staying and the non-talent is heading for the exit—they are being asked to do work.
— Gail Finke (@gailfinke) August 6, 2026
“I assume the talent is staying and the non-talent is heading for the exit—they are being asked to do work,” another user on X wrote.
What Comes Next for Madeleine Carlisle?
It remains unclear what the 30-year-old producer plans to do next. Her father, meanwhile, is reportedly working on a Lord of the Rings screenplay featuring a “framing device” he developed with his son, screenwriter Peter McGee. Some critics have noted that McGee’s IMDB profile does not list any writing credits.
Stephen Colbert on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert – YouTube, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
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For now, rather than delivering the news, 60 Minutes has become the news. Carlisle’s quiet departure has also revealed how closely the newsmagazine was connected to the same network’s now-canceled late-night show.
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