Conan O'Brienis back in the late-night talk show business conversation afterStephen Colbertshared a private piece of advice. "There's a lot of fun to be had when this is over," O'Brien reportedly told him. O' Brien is referred to as "the patron saint of ex-talk show hosts" byColbert. The late-night veteran was not trying to push Colbert out. Instead, he was describing life after a talk show, from new projects to more freedom, as the format faces fresh pressure across TV.
Stephen Colbert says Conan O'Brien urging him to 'quit' talk show was actually 'kind'
According to The Hollywood Reportercover storydated March 9, 2026, Stephen Colbert recalled a conversation from "a few Emmys ago." Colbert said Conan O'Brien had been telling him "to quit for years." Then he quoted the advice directly. O'Brien told him, "I want you to know there's a lot of fun to be had when this is over, so don't feel like you need to stay." Colbert said, "It almost hurt my feelings, but he was just being kind."
Meanwhile, the context behind that exchange wasConan O'Brien's own exit from late-night in 2021. He retired from the format while it was in dramatic free fall. Since then, the former "Late Night," "The Tonight Show," and "Conan" host built a hit podcast, landed a $150 million SiriusXM deal, and fronted the Emmy-winning travel series "Conan O'Brien Must Go." That is why his take carries weight. He is not theorizing about life after a talk show. He already rebuilt one and was living it.
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However, the same report showed why O'Brien's advice matters more now. The Hollywood Reporter said CBS announced in July that it was canceling "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," calling it "purely a financial decision." But netizens connected it to an earlier Colbert criticism ofPresident Donald Trump.
Then it noted wider late-night pressure, including Disney briefly pulling "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" in September before restoring it. Although Conan's approach to hosting was never political, he still said, "I'm of the mind that yes, these shows are going away and will become something else." Even so, he added, "I don't like when other malign forces intervene, because they're trying to curry favor. That pisses me off."
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