Jimmy Kimmel Says He Offered Stephen Colbert a Summer Hosting Slot After CBS Cancelled The Late Show
Jimmy Kimmel told Variety he offered Stephen Colbert a chance to host his show during the summer after CBS ended Colbert's program, and noted that his own ratings have risen since the cancellation.
Jimmy Kimmel said he invited Stephen Colbert to serve as a guest host on his program during the summer after CBS discontinued "The Late Show" earlier this year. In an interview with Variety, Kimmel said he told Colbert that he could step in at any time, but Colbert declined, describing the timing as premature.
Kimmel added that his show has seen strong ratings, which he credited to CBS, noting that the network’s decision to end Colbert’s program coincided with a ratings boost for his own show.
CBS said the cancellation was due to "The Late Show" losing about $40 million annually, a figure Kimmel dismissed as inaccurate. Industry analysts have suggested the move may have been influenced by political pressure, including comments from President Donald Trump urging networks to drop late-night hosts.
The network’s decision came shortly before Paramount, CBS’s parent company, received FCC approval for a major merger. Kimmel encouraged viewers to watch Colbert’s final episode but advised them not to continue watching the network’s programming afterward.