“If they take Seth Meyers from us, we riot” - Internet reacts as SNL alum trends on X following Stephen Colbert's ‘Late Show’ cancellation

CBS has decided to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which will end in May 2026. The eponymous host of the late-night talk show announced the news during his Thursday (July 17) night episode, informing his live and TV audience that he had been informed “just last night.”

Stephen Colbert added that the network was not replacing him, but rather it was ending the Late Show franchise entirely, after a 33-year run. Notably, the comedian-writer himself has been hosting it since September 2015.

“It’s not just the end of the show; it is the end of ‘The Late Show’ on CBS. I’m not being replaced, this is all just going away,” the Washington, D.C. native stated.

When the audience booed, Stephen Colbert mentioned, “Yeah, I share your feelings,” before adding he was “grateful” to the viewers as well as the show’s 200-member crew, calling them "great partners." He also called the network his “home.”

“Let me tell you, it is a fantastic job. I wish someone else were getting it. And it is a job I am looking forward to doing with this usual gang of idiots for another 10 months. It’s gonna be fun. You all ready?” Stephen Colbert shared.

In the wake of the announcement, the internet is sharing its shock and disappointment, with many claiming that if NBC cancelled Late Night with Seth Meyers, they would go on a strike. As a result, Seth Meyers is currently trending on the social networking site X.

For instance, X user @MikeZakarian wrote in a post, “If they take Seth Meyers from us we riot.”

Many people joined the conversation and shared similar reactions on the platform.

“I can’t f**king believe they cancelled the Late Show. I’ve watched Colbert every night it was on for the last over ten years, and I adore his show. His show (as was Seth Meyers) was a light during the pandemic and through all the sh*t these last years. F**k this cowardly sh*t,” a netizen wrote. “Seth Meyers being the only good one left,” another netizen wrote. “I much certainly hope that the NBC executives have more of a backbone than the CBS ones so I don’t lose Seth, but I don’t have much hope,” a fan wrote. “Cancelling Colbert while the least interesting man on TV still has a job (Seth Meyers),” another fan wrote.

Meanwhile, a few shared opposite reactions.

“I watched Letterman & Conan 5 nights a week because their writers were awesome. I wouldn’t want to meet Colbert, Kimmel, Fallon, or Seth Meyers in real life, much less watch their programs,” a person wrote. “Late night was already bad enough when he took over Letterman’s show, but he absolutely ruined the late-night show. With Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers. Oh Christ, they destroyed late night TV,” another person wrote.

Stephen Colbert replaced David Letterman in 2015 after Letterman hosted The Late Show on CBS for 22 years. According to The Guardian, the show has a strong history of high ratings and has been the top-rated late-night program.

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Exploring further why CBS retired ‘The Late Show’ amid Stephen Colbert’s announcement

On Thursday night, July 17, executives from CBS and its parent company, Paramount Global, issued a joint statement sharing that The Late Show will “end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of the broadcast season.” The network added that the cancellation was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.”

“It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount,” the statement read.

George Cheeks, co-CEO of Paramount Global and President and CEO of CBS; Amy Reisenbach, President of CBS Entertainment; and David Stapf, President of CBS Studios, called Stephen Colbert “irreplaceable.”

“We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire ‘The Late Show’ franchise at that time. We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late-night television,” they mentioned.

The cancellation of The Late Show franchise by CBS comes amid Paramount Global’s attempt to close a merger with Skydance Media, after the deal fell apart the first time around in 2024.

Apart from the viewers, politicians, including Democratic Senators Adam Schiff and Elizabeth Warren, condemned CBS’s decision to end the show and shared their solidarity for Stephen Colbert on X. Schiff was also the guest on Colbert's show on Thursday night.

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According to The Hollywood Reporter, Seth Meyers has a contract signed with NBC to host his late-night show until 2028.

Edited by Divya Singh