Jimmy Kimmel cursed out CBS this week after the network cancelled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
The decision, described by the network as a “purely financial” one amid the ongoing Paramount-Skydance merger, has drawn sharp criticism from Kimmel, who didn’t mince words in his public rebuke of CBS.
Stephen Colbert on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert – YouTube, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Kimmel, host of Disney ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, took to Instagram Stories shortly after Colbert’s emotional on-air announcement, sharing a clip of his colleague breaking the news to viewers.
“Love you Stephen. F*** you and all your Sheldons CBS,” Kimmel wrote, referencing the network’s long-running sitcoms The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon as a jab at the network’s programming priorities.
The blunt message quickly went viral, with celebrities like Adam Scott, Judd Apatow, and Katie Couric echoing support for Colbert while amplifying Kimmel’s frustration.
A screenshot of Jimmy Kimmel crying on TV after the election of Donald Trump – YouTube, Jimmy Kimmel Live
The backlash comes amid speculation that the cancellation isn’t solely about dollars and cents. Critics point to Colbert’s frequent sharp commentary on political figures, including President Donald Trump, as a potential factor.
Just days before the announcement, Colbert had criticized CBS’s parent company, Paramount, for a settlement with Trump, calling it a “bribe” on air. Many liberal voices in the industry claim this is a “chilling sign” of broader changes in late-night TV, especially under new corporate pressures.
A post from President Donald Trump about the cancellation of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert – Truth Social
Adding fuel to the fire, President Trump himself weighed in on the cancellation via his Truth Social platform. In a post that gloated over Colbert’s impending exit, Trump wrote, “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert!”
Trump extended his barbs to NBC’s Jimmy Fallon, calling him a “moron” and suggesting the entire late-night lineup is on shaky ground.
Jimmy Kimmel reading tweets from President Trump at The Oscars – YouTube, New York Post
Kimmel’s own future in late-night TV adds an ironic layer to his outspoken defense of Colbert. The comedian has repeatedly hinted that his current contract with Disney-owned ABC, which runs through 2026, is likely his last.
In a February 2024 interview, Kimmel stated, “I think this is my final contract,” signaling potential retirement amid declining viewership across the genre. He reiterated similar sentiments in subsequent discussions, noting the shifting landscape of television with streaming options eroding traditional network audiences.
Despite these hints, Kimmel has no immediate plans announced beyond his current deal.
Jimmy Kimmel speaks to Arnold Schwarzenegger on Jimmy Kimmel Live – YouTube, Jimmy Kimmel Live
Ratings have been a persistent talking point in these developments. While The Late Show has maintained its lead in total viewers—averaging 2.42 million in Q2 2025—Kimmel’s show trails behind with about 1.77 million viewers on average.
However, Kimmel occasionally edges out Colbert in the key 18-49 demographic, a metric prized by advertisers. Trump’s dig at both hosts’ “talent” being “less than their ratings” demonstrates a brutal reality: late-night viewership has plummeted industry-wide, with even top shows like Colbert’s drawing fractions of their peak audiences from years past.
Stephen Colbert dances around with human needles – YouTube, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
The end of The Late Show marks the closure of a chapter for CBS, which has hosted late-night programming at the Ed Sullivan Theater since 1993. As one insider put it, the decision was “agonizing,” given the show’s historic and cultural status. Yet, with mergers reshaping media giants and political tensions simmering, the future of outspoken late-night satire hangs in the balance.
Kimmel’s profane outburst may be just the beginning of a larger conversation about creative freedom, corporate control, and the viability of late-night TV in a fragmented entertainment world. It also raises questions about networks being able to make financial decisions based on performance without being examined under the political microscope.
Conservative voices, however, see the decision to cancel Colbert as a purely financial move given the show’s struggling ratings and massive overhead cost.
Stephen Colbert on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert – YouTube, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
As Trump hints at more cancellations to come, hosts like Kimmel and Fallon are undoubtedly watching closely—perhaps pondering their own exits before they’re shown the door.
How do you feel about Jimmy Kimmel and his tirade at CBS? Are more late night cancellations coming? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
About time for these activists to be tarred and feathered by the man they hate most.
This is the only funny thing Kimmel has released since he left The Man Show. Cancel Pigs are upset now that they’re the ones being cancelled–literally–and the simultaneous irony and total lack of self-awareness is hilarious. Their ratings suck, there’s no more government money from back channels like USAID to push The Message™, of course their shows are going to get axed. The market actually has a say again without the CCP-style backing of woke elements in the government.
Don’t let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya, kimmy. Oops, jimmy.
[…] W efekcie raz po raz słyszymy jak to jakaś – do niedawna – wielka gwiazda tej czy tamtej sieci idzie na bruk. Ostatnio poleciał Stephen Colbert z CBS. […]