CBS
Stephen Colbert, whose The Late Show was cancelled earlier this summer, won an Emmy Award on Sunday night and said that he’s never loved his country more. Colbert and The Late Show won the award for Best Talk Series at the 2025 Emmys.
Following the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, there was rampant speculative that the decision was motivated by CBS parent company Paramount looking to appease President Trump as it seeks approval for a multi-billion-dollar merger with Skydance.
Colbert has been a critic of President Trump ever since he first ran for office in 2015, the same year his iteration of The Late Show premiered. CBS — which, ironically, is the network that aired the Emmys, an award show that’s seen declining viewership for years on end — claims the cancellation is due to “financial reasons.”
Stephen Colbert says he’s “never loved his country more” while accepting Emmy for Best Talk Show
“Thank you very much! You’re very kind! Sit down. We’ve got to go,” Colbert began. “While I have your attention, is anyone hiring? Because I’ve got 200 very qualified candidates with me here tonight, who will be available in June.”
“I want to thank CBS for giving us the privilege to be part of the ‘Late Night’ tradition, which I hope continues long after we’re no longer doing this show,” he continued.
“Sometimes you only truly know how much you love something when you get a sense that you might be losing it. Ten years later, in September of 2025, my friends, I have never loved my country more desperately. God bless America. Stay strong, be brave, and if the elevator tries to bring you down, go crazy and punch a higher floor!”
Following the conclusion The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in June 2026, Colbert will be one of the hottest free agents in entertainment has he been a fixture of the comedic pop cultural landscape for two decades now via The Daily Show, The Colbert Report and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.