AceShowbiz - Stephen Colbert recently opened up about the advice he received from fellow late night host Conan O'Brien regarding his career in late night television. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published on March 9, Colbert described how O'Brien had been encouraging him to consider stepping away from hosting his show well before the news of its cancellation.

“Conan is the patron saint of ex-talk show hosts,” Colbert said, explaining that O'Brien had often told him, “I want you to know there's a lot of fun to be had when this is over, so don't feel like you need to stay.” This encouragement came during a night out a few years prior at the Emmys.

Colbert admitted that the persistent suggestion almost felt personal, saying, “It almost hurt my feelings, but he was just being kind. He Dutch uncle'd me,” referring to O'Brien's tough-love style of advice.

For context, Conan O'Brien has a significant history in late night television. He succeeded David Letterman as host of Late Night in 1993 and remained in that role until 2009. After a brief and complicated period hosting The Tonight Show, O'Brien launched his own show, Conan, on TBS in 2010, which ran for 11 seasons until ending in 2021.

Meanwhile, Stephen Colbert has been the host of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert since 2015. However, in July 2025, it was announced the show would conclude in May 2026. CBS explained the decision was due to financial reasons and was unrelated to the show's content or performance. The network expressed pride in having Colbert as part of CBS.

During a July 2025 taping, Colbert informed his audience of the upcoming end of the show, which also marked the final season of The Late Show on CBS. The announcement was met with boos from the crowd. Colbert acknowledged their feelings and clarified that no new host would replace him—the show was simply ending.

He expressed gratitude toward CBS for their partnership and to the viewers who supported the show nightly, both in-studio and worldwide.

In the months following the announcement, Colbert shared how he learned of the show's cancellation from his and fellow late night host Jimmy Kimmel’s manager, James "Baby Doll" Dixon. The revelation came after Colbert returned from vacation, during an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! in September 2025.

Colbert recounted, “He said, 'Hey, baby, I just need to talk to you for 15 minutes after the show on Wednesday.' This was on the 16th of July. Five minutes on the phone with Baby Doll is an hour, so 15 minutes in person, what the hell is this about?” He told his wife Evie he would be home late, expecting a brief conversation but ended up away for over two hours. When he returned, she asked if he had been canceled, which he confirmed.

The very next day, Colbert addressed the news live to his staff, studio audience, and viewers after recording the show. He admitted to being nervous about delivering the announcement, especially since there was nothing scripted on the teleprompter. Speaking off the cuff, he stumbled a couple of times and had to restart. The audience initially thought it was a comedic bit and encouraged him with cheers of “You can do it!”

Despite the disappointment of the cancellation, Colbert and his team received recognition shortly before the announcement, winning the Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Series at the 2025 Emmy Awards on September 14. This was their first win after multiple nominations over the years.

Colbert has expressed acceptance of the network’s decision and is looking forward to the next phase of his career after The Late Show ends in May 2026.