While joining New Year’s Eve Live with Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper, Stephen Colbert addressed the upcoming end of his CBS show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
23:56 ET, 31 Dec 2025Updated 00:37 ET, 01 Jan 2026
Stephen Colbert delivered a snub to his bosses while on New Years Eve Live
Stephen Colbert made a special appearance on CNN’s New Year’s Live with Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper, and didn’t hesitate to snub his home network following the cancellation of his talk show.
Colbert was one of the special guests on the broadcast, which was being hosted by the CNN news anchor and Bravo personality, and featured the two enjoying themselves as they took shots with various guests live on air–and their guests quickly made viral moments of their own.
One such guest was Colbert, who called in to chat with the two not long after sharing the disturbing dream he had–and he quickly raised eyebrows as he once again didn’t hesitate to bash CBS after cancelling his show.
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The moment came as Cohen, 57, and Cooper, 58, both appeared to be feeling the shots they had taken earlier in the night, as they interviewed Colbert.
Cohen decided to ask Colbert about the biggest thing he had learned in 2025, which led to Colbert, 61, delivering his snub: “Don’t trust billionaires.”
The comment came after Colbert admitted it would not be a new year without the two, followed by a round of shots for all of them.
Colbert delivered scathing remarks aimed at his employers while appearing on the CNN show
Cohen then asked what he learned, and Colbert delivered his comment. After his snub, he also took aim at the two hosts and their drunk antics.
“Stephen, as you look back at your incredible time on the late show, is there one moment that has been like a pinch me moment that you still can’t get over?” Cohen asked.
“Every December, when Anderson and Andy come on to promote CNN’s rockin’ eve or whatever you call this clown show I’m watching right now,” Colbert replied.
Colbert also took aim at Cohen and Colbert for being drunk
Colbert’s commentary comes after the contentious news of his show coming to an end, which was revealed in July 2025, just days after Colbert skewered a settlement by CBS parent company Paramount’s settlement with Donald Trump.
“Before we start the show, I want to let you know something that I found out just last night. Next year will be our last season. The network will be ending ‘The Late Show’ in May,” he said at the time.
“It’s not just the end of our show, but it’s the end of ‘The Late Show’ on CBS. I’m not being replaced. This is all just going away.”
CBS called the decision one that was “purely financial” at the time, something that Colbert has repeatedly slammed on episodes of his show since.
Notably, not long after the news of his firing, a deal for Paramount to be acquired by Skydance was approved by the FCC, putting billionaire Larry Ellison in charge of the company.
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