EXCLUSIVE: Who's Next? Late Night Hosts Trembling With Fear 'Snoozefest' Shows Will Be Axed After Stephen Colbert Got Booted Following Nasty Clashes With Trump
Late night hosts reportedly fear cancellations after Stephen Colbert was ousted amid clashes with Trump.
Aug. 26 2025, Published 6:30 a.m. ET
Stephen Colbert's brutal axing at CBS has fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon quaking in their boots that they're next on the chopping block, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Sources said the talk trio has good reason to be worried as viewership declines, advertising revenue shifts, production costs soar, and left-wing political jokes clash with the Washington dealmaking challenges faced by parent companies.
'A Dying Genre'
Stephen Colbert's CBS firing has sparked panic among other late-night television hosts.
"It's a dying genre and ratings have been falling for many years," revealed an insider. "It's an open discussion in that world about who's going to go next – if any of them survive at all."
According to the insider, Fallon is sitting prettiest, having renewed his contract with NBC Universal to host The Tonight Show through 2028 – but even he's in danger.
"They've had it so good for so long, and seeing Colbert fall on his face reminds them they don't have much time left," said the insider.
Meyers' contract also runs through 2028, but Kimmel's will lapse in 2026, making him the most vulnerable.
The Falling Ratings
Jimmy Kimmel is seen as the most vulnerable late-night host with his contract ending in 2026.
All have suffered falling ratings as more viewers turn to online streaming to consume content, where they are seeing climbing views and financial concerns.
"The others are hoping they can keep the gravy train running as long as they can," said the insider.
While the current quartet often uses pointed political satire, Jay Leno, the 75-year-old former Tonight Show host, bashed them during a recent interview with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation over jokes that appeal to only "half their audience," saying: "I don't think anybody wants to hear a lecture."
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Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon may need to work harder to avoid the fate of Stephen Colbert.
Sources agreed the remaining hosts will likely have to make concessions.
"Kimmel used to take loads of holidays, but they'll all have to watch their backs and work their butts off because no one is indispensable in this age," said a source.
"Late-night TV is a bit of a snoozefest, but the last thing these guys want is to be put out to podcast pasture, where the money is not nearly as good."
