John Oliver calls Colbert cancellation "terrible news for the world of comedy"

John Oliver commented on the cancelation while promoting the minor league baseball team he recently rebranded.

By Matt Schimkowitz | July 20, 2025 | 7:20pm

(Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Montclair Film Festival)

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Cancel culture is alive and well at CBS. Last week, as Paramount awaits approval of its impending merger with Skydance, CBS canceled The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. It’s the end of an era for late-night comedy, but an even worse harbinger of doom for American democracy. Earlier this month, CBS’s parent company, Paramount, settled a $20 billion libel lawsuit with President Trump for $16 million. Colbert called the show a “big fat bribe” on The Late Show, and the following week, he lost his job. Many have wondered whether the cancellation was Paramount ingrating itself with the administration. CBS countered that narrative by claiming the show was a money loser, as the Writers Guild of America called for an investigation.

Whatever happened, fellow late-night comedian John Oliver finds the whole thing “incredibly sad.” Oliver commented on the cancellation while promoting the Erie Moon Mammoths, his rebrand for the minor league baseball team, the Erie SeaWolves.

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“I love Stephen, I love his staff. I love that show. It’s incredibly sad,” Oliver said. “I am partly excited to see what they’re going to do for the next 10 months. It’s terrible, terrible news for the world of comedy. Late-night shows mean a lot to me, not just because I work in them, but because even growing up in England, I would watch Letterman’s show, which of course was Stephen’s show, and think about what a glamorous world that was. So to have got to be on Letterman’s show and Stephen’s show has been always one of the most fun things, so it’s very, very, very sad news. I look forward to seeing what he’s going to do next because that man will not stop.”

Oliver isn’t the only one to react to the news. Jimmy Fallon wrote on Instagram that he’s “just as shocked as everyone.” Meanwhile, Seth Meyers said he’s “going to miss having him on TV every night.”