Byron Allen praises 'American treasure' Stephen Colbert ahead of “Late Show ”finale

Marina WattsFri, May 15, 2026 at 6:23 PM UTC

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Byron Allen; Stephen Colbert
Credit: Paras Griffin/Getty; Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via GettyKey Points -

Byron Allen reacted to taking over Stephen Colbert's late-night slot with Comics Unleashed.

Allen praised the host as an "American treasure."

The final episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert airs on May 21.

Byron Allen has nothing but respect for Stephen Colbert.

On May 21, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will come to an end with a new program taking over Colbert's late-night slot. Allen, who will be replacing Colbert with his show Comics Unleashed, called CBS' decision to cancel the show “an unfortunate event.”

“I really like Stephen Colbert. I think he is a magnificent human being,” Allen added, per Variety. “He’s a super talent, I believe he is an American treasure.”

Byron Allen in Hollywood in April 2026
Credit: Michael Kovac/Getty

The admiration is mutual. Colbert told The Hollywood Reporterin April about his reaction to learning of Allen replacing him. "God bless him. I know Byron. We got to know each other last year, actually. He's fascinating," he said.

Colbert also mentioned Allen's "history" in the late-night world as the youngest person to ever perform on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson at 18. "Anyway, when I found out, I wrote him the next morning and I said, 'Hey, congrats. I heard you got the time. Good for you. Wouldn’t it be lovely if you could drop Mr. Carson a note?'" he said.

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CBS announced its plans for replacing Colbert's 11:35 p.m. ET/PT slot with Comics Unleashed on April 6. Following Allen's roundtable talk show, a game show produced by Allen, Funny You Should Ask, will air at 12:35 a.m. ET/PT.

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"I created and launched Comics Unleashed 20 years ago so my fellow comedians could have a platform to do what we all love — make people laugh," Allen said in a statement at the time.

"I truly appreciate CBS' confidence in me by picking up our two-hour comedy block of Comics Unleashed and Funny You Should Ask, because the world can never have enough laughter."

Less than two weeks after the announcement, Paramount's chair of TV media, George Cheeks, mentioned that the Comics Unleashed replacement might not be for the long-run, noting they did a one-season deal. "So, we are still going to develop other ideas, other concepts. But to go into immediate profitability in that slot made a lot of sense for us right now," he said, per Deadline.

Cheeks added, "Byron's been a great partner to us at 12:30, so we feel confident he will continue to be a great partner for us at 11:30, as well."

Stephen Colbert on 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' in March 2026
Credit: Scott Kowalchyk/CBS

CBS announced last July that the Late Show franchise would be ending after 33 years. "We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire The Late Show franchise at that time. We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late-night television," CBS said at the time.

The statement continued, "This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount."

The final episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert airs on May 21 at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT.

on Entertainment Weekly

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