EXCLUSIVE: No Last Laughs for Stephen Colbert — Why Washed-Up Comic Has Nothing to Smile About Anymore
Stephen Colbert faces career struggles as the comic loses edge and battles declining momentum.
April 14 2026, Published 7:00 a.m. ET
Canceled comic Stephen Colbert is closing in on the end of his show's run on CBS, and RadarOnline.com can reveal he's crushed that very few of his so-called friends have stepped up to help in his hour of dire need and that he still doesn't have a plan B lined up.
Meanwhile, the clock is ticking – it was just announced that the final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will air in less than two months, on May 21.
"The grim realities of winding down a major production like The Late Show are playing out in a pretty dark way," said a network insider. "It's all created a dark, toxic vibe at the show and on the set, because these network-backed writing and producing jobs are hard to come by in New York City – people stay in them for decades if they can."
'Smell The Misery And Pain'
CBS tensions reportedly grew as Stephen Colbert clashed with bosses over 'The Late Show' content.
"You can practically smell the misery and pain that hang in the air," the source added.
Meanwhile, the 61-year-old late-night host has also been openly fighting with CBS bosses about the show's content, adding to the dismal atmosphere.
Colbert himself is just starting to face the bleak reality that he doesn't have a ton of options once the show wraps.
Rumors that he'd signed a $13.5million deal with Netflix for a seven-episode series turned out to be false.
Plans After The Show
A source said Colbert has not outlined post-'The Late Show' plans.
"He has not yet outlined a plan for what he's going to do after the show ends and who on the staff will come with him," a source said.
"There's been chatter for a while that he can start a podcast and even transform himself into the left-wing answer to Tucker Carlson, but that's not what Stephen wants."
According to our mole, his preference is to stay on network television and do pretty much the same show he's been doing for the last 10 years – for different bosses.
Facing Reality
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James Corden is cited as a cautionary example for Colbert's post-show future.
So far, his reps have not been able to pull a rabbit out of their hats with an offer for a new show.
"They were just as shocked by the cancellation last year as Stephen was," the source said.
"Now Stephen needs to face the reality that he's going to have to completely reinvent himself if he wants to avoid the fate that his fellow late-night outcast James Corden suffered, which is a total loss of relevance among American audiences when his show went off the air."
