Stephen Colbert is reportedly finding the transition away from The Late Show difficult after spending 11 seasons behind the CBS desk.
A new Daily Mail report cites unnamed sources who claim the program had become more than a job for Colbert and that losing it affected his sense of identity. Colbert and his representatives have not publicly responded to the account.
In a May People interview, he said CBS may have “saved my life” by ending the demanding nightly schedule while he still had the time and energy to pursue other projects.
Colbert Had Already Said the Job Consumed Him
Stephen Colbert’s secret tragedy behind the forced smiles: TV host struggling to cope… as insiders reveal life in hiding https://t.co/8iy7Id9IBR
— Daily Mail US (@Daily_MailUS) July 11, 2026
CBS announced in July 2025 that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert would end in May 2026 and that the network would retire the franchise. CBS called the move a financial decision unrelated to the show’s performance, content or other matters at Paramount.
Colbert took over from David Letterman in September 2015 and hosted the show until its final broadcast on May 21, 2026.
Before signing off, Colbert told People that producing the show took almost all of his attention. He compared each episode to a “flaming toboggan ride” and said he needed to finish the final run before deciding what came next.
Colbert said he had been developing a Lord of the Rings movie with his son Peter, though he had not committed to another regular television role.
He Has Not Disappeared From Public Life
CinemaBlend noted that Colbert had a busy stretch after his final show, including travel for his brother’s wedding, his wife Evelyn McGee-Colbert’s retirement and clearing out his CBS office.
He also appeared at public events after the finale, including Swift and Kelce’s wedding.
On July 8, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert received a final Emmy nomination for Outstanding Variety Series, placing it against Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, The Daily Show and Saturday Night Live.
Colbert Has Spoken Openly About the Loss That Shaped His Childhood
“I was personally shattered, and then you kind of reform yourself in this quiet, grieving world that was created in the house.”
Comedian Stephen Colbert opens up to @andersoncooper about grief and the death of his dad and brothers in a plane crash when he was 10 years old. pic.twitter.com/dUnc5CXSs5
— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) August 16, 2019
The Daily Mail also revisited the deaths of Colbert’s father, James, and his teenage brothers Peter and Paul. All three died in a 1974 plane crash when Colbert was 10 years old.
People noted that Colbert discussed the loss with Anderson Cooper in 2019, and Colbert said he was surprised by how widely that conversation resonated with people who had experienced grief of their own.
Colbert has also said that grief and faith were never intended to become the central subjects of his late-night program. He told People he tries not to lead with those topics, but is open to them when they are part of a guest’s story.
