“Oh yeah, it’s very sad. I love, obviously I love Stephen, I love his staff, I love that show, it is incredibly sad. I am partly excited to see what they’re going to do for the next ten months. But yeah, its 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 have been on Letterman’s show and on Stephen’s show has been, is 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.””Oh yeah, it’s very sad. I love, obviously I love Stephen, I love his staff, I love that show, it is incredibly sad. I am partly excited to see what they’re going to do for the next ten months. But yeah, its 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 have been on Letterman’s show and on Stephen’s show has been, is 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.”

When news broke of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert being canceled, reactions poured in from every corner of the media world — but it was John Oliver’s quiet, reflective statement that struck the deepest chord.

“I still remember watching Letterman and thinking, ‘That’s what I want to do,’” Oliver said in an impromptu segment at the end of Last Week Tonight. “And then Stephen came along — and somehow made that seat feel even more personal.”

A Personal Loss, A Public Shift

Oliver didn’t yell. He didn’t rant. Instead, he spoke like a fan mourning the end of something familiar.

“Stephen didn’t just interview people,” Oliver said. “He listened. He challenged. He made you laugh and made you think — often in the same sentence.”

To Oliver, Colbert represented more than a host — he represented a lineage. A tradition. A nightly ritual for millions of Americans who needed both levity and truth at the end of the day.

A Nod to Letterman, A Salute to Colbert

Oliver, who has always cited David Letterman as a key influence in his comedy, acknowledged how strange it feels to watch another chapter of that legacy close.

“We’ve lost more than just a show,” he said. “We’ve lost a space. A moment. A voice that helped us process the absurdity of the day.”

But his tone shifted — from elegiac to hopeful.

“Stephen isn’t done,” Oliver smiled. “You don’t get that kind of brain, that kind of soul, and that kind of delivery… and just retire to Vermont.”

Final Thought: What Late Night Meant — And Still Means

In an industry increasingly fractured by streaming, algorithms, and shrinking attention spans, Oliver’s tribute reminded audiences of something bigger:

That late-night wasn’t just a format — it was a cultural heartbeat.

And Colbert?
He didn’t just ride the rhythm.
He helped write it.