YOU WON’T BELIEVE WHAT JOHN OLIVER SAID ABOUT COLBERT. 😳🔥John Oliver just broke the internet after ending Last Week Tonight with a powerful, uncensored tribute to Stephen Colbert a farewell packed with emotion and a brutally direct message many viewers believe was aimed at CBS.
JOHN OLIVER AND LATE-NIGHT STARS RALLY BEHIND STEPHEN COLBERT AS THE LATE SHOW FAREWELL NEARS
As Stephen Colbert prepares to close the curtain on The Late Show in May 2026, late-night television is witnessing an unprecedented wave of support for the long-running host, highlighting both admiration and frustration over the network’s decision to cancel the show.
On Sunday night, John Oliver paused the traditional sign-off of Last Week Tonight to salute his longtime friend. “Please enjoy Colbert’s final shows,” Oliver told viewers, adding emphatically, “He’s the f—ing best.” The segment concluded with Oliver echoing David Letterman’s now-viral farewell, declaring, “Good night, and good luck, mother-f—ers!” Clips quickly spread across TikTok, YouTube, and X, drawing comparisons to Letterman’s recent profanity-laced tribute to CBS and reinforcing a growing sense of solidarity among late-night hosts.
The cancellation of The Late Show, first announced by CBS in July 2025, marked the end of a three-decade franchise. Executives cited financial reasons, but critics and industry insiders have speculated that the network’s decision may have been influenced by Paramount Global’s merger with Skydance Media and political tensions surrounding Trump-era satire. FCC approval of the merger shortly after Colbert’s on-air announcement fueled further speculation about the motives behind the cancellation.
Letterman, who originally launched The Late Show in 1993 and handed it to Colbert in 2015, openly criticized CBS for the decision. “I have every right to be pissed off,” he said during a recent appearance, emphasizing that while the network can cancel a show, it cannot erase a host’s voice. His comments, like Oliver’s tribute, have gone viral, inspiring fans to rally online in defense of Colbert and his legacy.
Colbert himself described the cancellation as a shock, noting in a GQ interview that he first learned about the show’s end from his manager rather than CBS leadership. Despite this, he has embraced the final episodes as a celebration of late-night television rather than a quiet exit.
Earlier this week, Colbert reunited with fellow hosts Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and Oliver for a special Strike Force Five podcast event, recalling the 2023 Writers Guild strike when they had collaborated to support out-of-work staff. The reunion emphasized the camaraderie and collective impact of modern late-night, blending comedy, political commentary, and cultural reflection during tumultuous times in American history.
As Colbert’s final episodes approach, the atmosphere across late-night television is less about endings and more about legacy. Tributes from Oliver, Letterman, Fallon, Kimmel, Meyers, and others underscore the shared sentiment: while The Late Show may be ending, the debate over why it disappeared and the influence of Colbert’s tenure are only intensifying. Fans and colleagues alike are watching closely as one of late-night’s most influential eras draws to a close.
“Please enjoy Colbert’s final shows,” John Oliver told viewers at the end of Sunday’s ‘Last Week Tonight.’ “He’s the f*cking best. Good night, and good luck, motherf*ckers!”
Full story: https://t.co/UK7kt3sFqw pic.twitter.com/PRzzk89ZV7— LateNighter (@latenightercom) May 18, 2026
