From Jimmy Fallon to Brittany Broski: The evolution of late-night television

From cable television to YouTube Shorts, late-night shows have touched audiences everywhere.

When you hear “late-night show,” a few names probably come to mind: Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon, James Corden or any Saturday Night Live cast member from 1975 to now.

However, while these names are household staples, people are watching them less and less. According to rating reports, total viewership has declined by three percent since 2024. The number of viewers ages 18 to 49 has decreased by 16%.

Why is there such a decline in viewership, especially with younger people? According to Vanity Fair, it’s because talk shows are now live online.

In Feb. 2026, Vanity Fair released an article giving the names and faces of the “new late night.” They discussed 10 internet celebrities who are “shattering the talk show format:” Brittany Broski, Jake Shane, Ziwe, Bowen Yang, Matt Rogers, Amelia Dimoldenburg, Quenlin Blackwell, Sean Evans, Julian Shapiro-Barnum and Kareem Rahman.

Some of these names may sound familiar, and some may not. But I can almost guarantee that if you have visited any social media platform in the past year, you have consumed their content.

All of them have had breakthroughs in their careers in the past six years and have continued to change the game of popular culture.

Now, why are television shows failing, and why are these newcomers succeeding? TV segments just don’t cut it anymore — with TikTok and the general rise of social media, attention spans are declining rapidly. No one wants to sit down and watch an hour and a half of some man talking to celebrities. They want quick, exciting interactions that make them laugh and hold their attention; this is exactly what these 10 influencers are doing.

One of the most notable names on this list is Brittany Broski. She became famous for a TikTok video of her trying kombucha, and now she interviews people at the Oscars. Her online recognition has spread tremendously. Her unique form of talk show is called “Royal Court.” She hosts celebrities into her “Royal Court,” where they wear medieval costumes, eat food and discuss the celebrity’s career.

It’s exactly like what any of the late-night hosts I first mentioned do — but better. It’s engaging, exciting, funny and more relevant.

Other unique examples include Amelia Dimoldenburg’s “Chicken Shop Date,” where she interviews the celebrity in the form of a romantic date while eating chicken together. Also, Sean Evans’ “Hot Ones,” where he and the chosen celebrity chat while eating insanely spicy chicken wings, each one spicier than the last.

The difference between whatever the old Jimmys do and what these newcomers do is that the latter is unique. It’s funny and exciting. People love seeing their favorite celebrities express a real personality. It shows they are a true human, not just a face of entertainment sitting behind a screen. Who doesn’t want to watch their favorite celebrity cry over spicy chicken?