Late-Night TV Gets Wild: Kimmel and Colbert's Unbelievable Weeks

Late-night television had a couple of incredibly eventful weeks, to say the least. Two big names, Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert, both faced dramatic turns with their shows. One was pulled off the air suddenly by his network, while the other learned his show was ending entirely. What a ride, right? These two late-night hosts came together recently, not just to talk about it all, but to take some direct shots at the former president, Donald Trump.

It sounds like something out of a TV script itself, but these events were very real for Kimmel and Colbert. From unexpected phone calls in bathrooms to emotional announcements to staff, their stories show the unpredictable side of live television and media politics. Let's look at how everything played out for these two prominent figures in late-night entertainment.

Jimmy Kimmel's Unexpected Call and Show Suspension Drama

Picture this: It's September 17, just a normal Tuesday afternoon, about 3:00 PM. Jimmy Kimmel Live! tapes at 4:30 PM, so things are in motion. The audience is in their seats, a guest chef named Christian Petroni has started preparing food (meatballs and polenta, if you're curious), and musical guest Howard Jones had even done a warm-up. And where was Kimmel? In the bathroom, on the phone.

Kimmel told Stephen Colbert later on The Late Show that he was in his office typing when he got an unusual phone call from ABC executives. "They didn't even know I was doing a show previous to this," he joked. With five writers in his office, the bathroom was his only private spot to take the call. So, in the bathroom, he heard the news.

Network Concerns Lead to an Immediate Show Halt

ABC executives told Kimmel they wanted "to take the temperature down." They were worried about what he might say that night. Their decision: take the show off the air. Kimmel said his first reaction was to boo, much like Colbert's audience did when he recounted the story. "I said, 'I don't think that's a good idea,' and they said, 'Well, we think it's a good idea.' Then there was a vote, and I lost the vote."

Upon telling his executive producers, Kimmel went "whiter than Jim Gaffigan," according to his wife. He admitted to thinking, "That's it. It's over, it's over. I was like, I'm never coming back on the air."

The sudden suspension meant sending the seated audience home. Chef Petroni's prepared food went to waste. Howard Jones, the '80s pop star, still taped a song, "Things Can Only Get Better," for a future episode, which Kimmel found ironic given the circumstances.

The Reason Behind the Suspension and Kimmel's Speedy Return

The whole event followed a controversial monologue Kimmel delivered in mid-September. He mentioned Charlie Kirk's suspected killer and the right-wing reaction to Kirk's murder. This caused a stir. Two days later, FCC Chair Brendan Carr even threatened to pull ABC affiliate broadcast licenses.

Then, station groups Nexstar and Sinclair, which air Jimmy Kimmel Live! in dozens of markets, announced they wouldn't air the show. Hours later, Kimmel got that bathroom call. But the story didn't end there. Kimmel returned to the air the following Tuesday with an emotional monologue that pulled in really high ratings. Turns out, public pressure works, as some signs above Highway 101 in Los Angeles proudly declared.

Stephen Colbert's Cancellation and a Difficult Announcement

While Kimmel was dealing with his suspension, Stephen Colbert also had his own dramatic news earlier in July. CBS announced that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert would be canceled, set to end in May 2026. This news hit Colbert while he was on vacation.

Vacation Interrupted: How Colbert Heard the News

Colbert's manager, James Dixon, who also manages Kimmel, knew about the cancellation for a week. He chose to wait until Colbert returned from his vacation to share the news. Colbert joked that he was "drowning my entire life in spanakopita and Greek rosé" when it all went down. After a long, two-and-a-half-hour phone call with Dixon, Colbert returned home to his wife, Evie McGee-Colbert, who jokingly asked, "What happened, did you get canceled?"

Colbert initially thought about telling his staff after their summer break, maybe in September. But his wife was firm. She told him he needed to tell them the very next day. She even insisted on coming to work with him to make sure he did it. Colbert remembered sweating through his shirt, not wanting to know anything his staff didn't know.

Delivering the News: A Performance Unlike Any Other

To avoid upsetting everyone during taping, Colbert first told only a few executive producers. After the show finished, he asked his stage manager to hold the audience. He then told his crew over Zoom and returned to the stage to tell the live audience. This was a challenge. There was no teleprompter, and he was speaking "off the cuff."

Colbert admitted he "fed up twice" and had to restart. The audience thought it was a bit, chanting, "You can do it. Come on, Steve. You can do it." But when he finally delivered the news, he said, "they didn't laugh."

CBS officially called it a "purely a financial decision." However, many media critics, and even Kimmel, questioned this. Some believed it was a political decision to appease the Trump administration. This was supposedly to get approval for Paramount's (CBS's parent company) merger with Skydance Media, which needed sign-off from Trump's government.

An Unprecedented Late-Night Crossover and Shared Experiences

In a truly rare move, Kimmel and Colbert appeared as guests on each other's shows on the same Tuesday, September 30. Kimmel hosted Colbert on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in Brooklyn, while Kimmel also appeared on The Late Show with Colbert at the Ed Sullivan Theater. This was a huge moment, with Colbert actually taping his JKL! appearance before joining Kimmel for The Late Show.

Joking About the President and Their United Front

Their joint appearances were clearly designed to make a statement and have a good time. Kimmel joked, "We thought it might be a fun way to drive the president nuts." He also quipped that it was "the show the FCC doesn't want you to see." Kimmel introduced Colbert as an "Emmy-winning late-night talk show host who, thanks to the Trump administration, is now available for a limited-time only." He called himself Colbert's "fellow no-talent, late-night loser."

Both Kimmel and Colbert have been vocal critics of Donald Trump. Trump publicly celebrated both their show troubles, even threatening ABC when Kimmel returned to air. Kimmel didn't hold back. When Colbert asked if he imagined a president celebrating his unemployment, Kimmel said he never imagined a president "celebrating hundreds of Americans losing their jobs." He felt such behavior was "the absolute opposite of what a leader of this country is supposed to be." Kimmel even posted an Instagram photo with Colbert and Seth Meyers, captioned: "Hi Donald!"

Camaraderie Among Late-Night Hosts and Future Outlooks

The solidarity wasn't just between Kimmel and Colbert. Seth Meyers also made an appearance on Kimmel's show that night, even doing a skit with his brother Josh Meyers, who played California Gov. Gavin Newsom. It was a clear display of unity in the face of pressures. Kimmel, Colbert, and Meyers posed for a photo Kimmel shared on Instagram.

Kimmel told Colbert the whole experience was an "emotional roller coaster." They both agreed they now appreciate being on late-night television even more after their recent experiences. Kimmel jokingly asked if Colbert's staff was looking for work, and Colbert quipped that he'd be "Guillermo Rodriguez's sidekick."

As their dual segment wrapped up, Colbert, with Kimmel's gifts (a Statue of Liberty bong and tequila shots from Guillermo), raised a toast: "To good friends, great jobs and late-night TV." These events highlight the challenges late-night hosts face, but also their determination to keep doing what they do, even when it means facing strong opposition.