Overview
- Winfrey, who switched seats with Colbert on Tuesday, asked what he wanted to “release” as The Late Show approaches its May 21 finale.
- Colbert said he is not ready to let go, citing a “white-knuckle grip” on his staff and calling the studio audience the “third person” in every interview.
- The host described how he even stages tough corporate phone calls in front of a small “audience” so he will say what he truly feels.
- The series has shifted into a sendoff run this week with high-profile bookings, including Keanu Reeves, Jack White, Oprah Winfrey, Brandi Carlile, Bryan Cranston, and Robert Plant.
- CBS says ending the show is a financial decision, with reporting of roughly $40 million in yearly losses, and the network plans to slot Byron Allen’s Comics Unleashed at 11:35 p.m. starting May 22.