Were John Oliver and Stephen Colbert coworkers? Last Week Tonight host reacts to The Late Show cancellation

Comedian and the Last Week Tonight host John Oliver addressed the shocking cancellation of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. While visiting Erie, Pennsylvania, to launch the newly rebranded minor league baseball team, the Moon Mammoths (previously the Erie SeaWolves), on Saturday, July 19, 2025, Oliver called the development "incredibly sad."

Last Thursday, Colbert announced the beloved late-night show will come to an end in May 2026. In a later statement, CBS confirmed the same.

Talking to reporters at the launch event, John Oliver explained:

"Obviously, I love Stephen, I love his staff, I love that show — it’s incredibly sad."

Notably, Oliver and Colbert have been friends, with the former having appeared on The Late Show. The two men have previously worked as correspondents on The Daily Show, although not at the same time.

John Oliver called the decision to cancel The Late Show "

terrible, terrible news for the world of comedy"

During Saturday's conversation with reporters. John Oliver noted that he was "excited" to see what the Late Show With Stephen Colbert team has in store for its final ten months. However, he also expressed that it coming to an end was "terrible, terrible news for the world of comedy."

 

 

 

 

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The comedian explained that growing up, he would watch The Late Show when David Letterman was host. Colbert took over from Letterman in 2015. Elaborating that "late-night shows were important to him, not only because he works in one but also because he grew up finding them "glamorous." John Oliver added:

"So to have got to have been on Letterman’s show and Stephen’s show was always one of the most fun things. So it’s very, very, very sad news. I look forward to seeing what (Colbert is) gonna do next because that man will not stop."

Stephen Colbert announced the end of The Late Show on Thursday. At the time, he explained he had been informed about the cancellation just a night before. Clips from the episode show the reveal was met with loud boos from the live audience.

Per the outlet, this marks the first time since 1993 (when Letterman launched the program) that The Late Show will not run on CBS.

In a statement, CBS asserted the decision to cancel the show was "purely a financial decision" and had no relation to its "performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount."

 

 

 

 

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Notably, CBS' parent company, Paramount Global, is in the midst of negotiations for a merger with Skydance. The former business recently settled a lawsuit with Donald Trump over a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris, Trump's then-opponent in the 2024 election race. Pundits speculate that the company settled to improve the chances of the merger's approval by the FCC under Trump's administration.

Stephen Colbert criticized Paramount's $16 million settlement during a recent episode, calling it a "big, fat bribe," according to LateNighter. CBS asserted this did not factor into their decision, citing losses in millions.

John Oliver was not the only program host to comment on the move. Jimmy Fallon took to his Instagram stories to express his shock. Seth Meyers praised Colbert's comedy in a separate story. Meanwhile, Jimmy Kimmel called out CBS in his post, writing:

"Love you Stephen," adding, "F**k you CBS and all your Sheldons."

John Oliver will return to TV with Last Week Tonight after a hiatus later this month.