As the final episode of The Late Show approaches, Jimmy Kimmel took a moment to offer a heartfelt farewell to Stephen Colbert. “We will be off tomorrow night out of respect for our colleague and friend Stephen Colbert and the writers, producers, staff, and crew at The Late Show, whose final show on CBS airs opposite ours,” Kimmel said. “I think you know how I feel about the fact that they are being pushed out. I hope those responsible feel ashamed of themselves tonight, though I know they probably won’t. However, it’s most important to congratulate Stephen and the team for their great work over the last 11 years, and the great work you will continue to do elsewhere, I’m sure.”
Kimmel added that everyone at The Late Show has always been gracious to them, and they never felt in competition. “On behalf of everyone at our show, we want to say it’s been a pleasure to work alongside you,” he said. “I will be watching tomorrow night, and I hope those who watch our show will also tune in to CBS for the final time. Don’t ever watch it again, but watch tomorrow night to give Stephen and our friends a fond farewell.”