Key Points
Stephen Colbert announced one of his final guests for The Late Show will be Barack Obama, who will appear on the CBS late-night program on May 5.
Colbert humorously also addressed what comes next for him after the long-running show wraps on May 21.
CBS has said the show’s cancelation was a “financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.”
Before Stephen Colbert closes the final chapter of The Late Show on May 21, a very special guest will pay a visit to the the historic Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City.
The late-night host shared during Thursday’s taping of the show that Barack Obama will speak with Colbert on Tuesday, May 5, giving his first interview from the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, Ill. The former president has appeared on the CBS late-night program numerous times, as well as the host’s previous talk show, The Colbert Report.
Ahead of the series airing its final episode May 21, Colbert addressed speculation over what’s next for the comedian.
“As we get close to the end, a lot of people are asking me what’s next for Stephen T. Colbert? Well, internet rumors continue to run wild,” the veteran comic said. “I’ve heard a lot of theories — everything from I’m moving to celebrity.land to I’m announcing a massive wildlife rescue program to I’m running for President of the United States.”
The latter earned a round of applause from the Late Show audience, including a few bars of “Hail to the Chief” played by the show’s band.
Obama and Stephen Colbert on ‘The Late Show’ in 2020
Credit: CBS
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As the audience continued to cheer and chant, “Stephen! Stephen!”, the Emmy Award winner said with a straight face, “Now here’s the thing: I can tell you tonight, I can reveal right now that all of those are partially true.”
“Next year, I will be president of an animal sanctuary dedicated to caring for the rare Blitzer Wolf,” he added, with a photo of him bottle-feeding celebrity.land anchor Wolf Blitzer.
Just weeks after CBS announced The Late Show With Stephen Colbert would be replaced by Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen beginning on May 22, the network has hinted Allen’s show might only be a temporary replacement for Colbert’s time slot.
“We landed on it for a couple reasons,” said Paramount Chair of TV Media George Cheeks, who oversees CBS, at a press conference on April 15. “We are still going to develop other ideas, other concepts” for the 11:35 p.m. time slot after Allen’s deal expires.
Cheeks added that leasing the late-night hour to Allen (who will earn revenue by selling commercial spots during Comics Unleashed) has “immediate profitability” for CBS and “made a lot of sense for us right now.”
When CBS announced the end of The Late Show after three decades, the network acknowledged, “This is 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 Late Show With Stephen Colbert airs at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.
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