Stephen Colbert Fears Substitute Host Would Steal His Late Night Show Gig: Report
Stephen Colbert was out for three weeks after suffering a ruptured appendix.
Dec. 17 2023, Published 5:30 a.m. ET
Late night host Stephen Colbert, who's currently sidelined from a ruptured appendix, is reportedly stressing out over his extended absence from his CBS show, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Insiders claimed that the real reason Colbert, 59, turned down the network's suggestion to bring in a string of comedians as rotating hosts to fill his seat is that fears a fill-in may steal his spotlight!
Colbert was reportedly not keen on the idea of a substitute host filling in for him.
"Colbert's decision to stick with reruns highlights a deep level of insecurity," an insider close to the situation told the National Enquirer.
"The concern that a substitute host might overshadow him reveals the extent of his underlying fear and paranoia!" the source added.
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Colbert has been the CBS late night host since 2015.
According to the report, sources alleged that the 59-year-old comedian threw a fit when CBS made efforts to persuade him to consider the guest host option.
"Stephen is not exactly a 'pass the baton' type," a tipster said of the late night host. "He pushed a lot of people out of the way to get this job, and there's no chance of him handing over the reins to someone who might want to push him out of the way too!"
RadarOnline.com has reached out to Colbert's and CBS reps for comment.
Sources alleged Colbert is not the 'pass the baton' type of host.
Colbert, who is known for his satirical takes on politics, pop culture and current events, was sidelined for three weeks due to the potentially life-threatening appendix rupture.
On Monday night, the comedian finally made his return to the CBS stage, where he has been at the helm of late night TV since 2015.
True to the style fans have gravitated towards since his Comedy Central days a la The Colbert Report, the host poked fun at himself as he explained his unexpected absence.
Colbert returned to his late night show on Monday.
The host revealed that during a back-to-back taping on November 20, he suddenly suffered an excruciating pain in his side.
"I was in a heap of trouble," Colbert said during Monday night's opening monologue, according to NBC News.
Colbert's band leader Louis Cato chimed in on the incident, "I knew something was wrong when, for the first time in almost nine years, you had to rehearse the monologue sitting at the desk with a barf bucket next to you."
"The pain was manageable," Colbert recalled. "It only hurt when I moved. And when I didn’t."
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Colbert then took a moment to lighten the mood and cracked a joke about David Letterman, who was his guest the day before the back-to-back taping.
"I thought I might have caught something from Dave’s beard," Colbert snickered.
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