It’s the kind of bombshell you don’t expect until after the theater darkens. Jimmy Kimmel recently dropped a startling reveal on The Late Show: even before Stephen Colbert’s show is officially off the air, several members of his staff have already approached Kimmel asking for a job. Yes, you read that right. As the end of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert looms (scheduled for May 2026), an early exodus of its team may already be underway.

Kimmel didn’t play coy about the emotional tension of it all. He praised Colbert’s team, lamented how “terrible” the situation is, and expressed sympathy for the staff who may soon be without a show to call home. Meanwhile, Colbert responded with the kind of grace that’s familiar to his fans — mixing humor with acknowledgment, saying, “As well they should.”

But beneath the jokes lies something deeper, messier, and more telling about how television, loyalty, and career survival are playing out behind the scenes of late-night TV.

The Context: Why the Shake-Up Is Happening

To understand why Colbert’s staff might already be looking for new work, you have to go back to July 2025, when CBS announced the cancellation of The Late Show. The network cited financial reasons, saying the decision was “purely a financial decision … and not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”

Still, that explanation didn’t shield the fallout from political speculation, media scrutiny, and tension in the industry. Colbert himself has drawn attention to the timing: not long after he criticized CBS’s parent company for a settlement with Donald Trump, the announcement came.

Meanwhile, Kimmel is no stranger to turbulence. His own show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, was briefly suspended by ABC following backlash over remarks he made about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

So when staffers of The Late Show walk over to Kimmel’s camp, it’s more than just job hunting — it’s a signal about shifting loyalties, insecurity in the business, and cautious survival in an era when late night is increasingly fragile.

What This Says about Late Night Television Culture

This moment, strange as it might sound, reflects deeper trends in media and entertainment:

The cult of the host
In late-night, the host is more than a presenter — they’re leader, brand, and morale anchor. When a show ends, people don’t always stick around for the brand; they follow the person who can offer the next opportunity.
Staff as transferable capital
Long gone are the days when writers or crew were tied to one show for decades. In today’s media, talent is fluid. Networks, platforms, and competing shows often poach from one another. Staff who have earned respect and developed stable relationships are assets.
The fragility of “stable” gigs
A show cancellation isn’t just a headline — it’s a career earthquake. People’s livelihoods depend on what seems, sometimes, like a fragile business. When the roof starts leaking, even before it collapses, people will seek shelter elsewhere.
Public vs. private loyalty
Kimmel’s announcement, Colbert’s response — they’re part of an industry ritual. Publicly, these conversations are respectful, even sympathetic. Privately, though, there may be anxiety, competition, and shifting alliances.

In many ways, this moment exposes a paradox: late-night is deeply personal, yet it’s built on contracts, ratings, and networks’ bottom lines.

Colbert’s Stan: What His Team Means to Him

As important as staff are to any show, Colbert seems keenly aware of how vital his team is. In their exchange, he called his staff the “greatest group of people I’ve ever worked with,” a sentiment he’s expressed before, noting it took two decades to build that team.

It’s not hyperbole. In talk shows, staff become part of the narrative — researchers, writers, producers, editors, camera operators — all working together to shape tone, humor, and style. The show, in many cases, is more theirs than most casual viewers realize.

When people you trust and lead begin peeking over the fence, it’s more than staffing logistics — it’s a transition in identity. It takes emotional and professional courage to stay, particularly when watching others move.

Risks, Rewards, and What Matters Next

For the staffers walking forward, the stakes are high. Moving too early, chasing a job that may not materialize — that’s one risk. Staying too long when projects are clearly winding down — another.

What’s in the balance:

Professional reputation
Are you seen as loyal or opportunistic? Are you someone who can adapt, move, and generate value?
Creative integrity vs. survival
Do you follow the brand or the person? In television, creative quality often depends on stable collaboration — breaking off too early may cost momentum.
Financial and personal stability
For many crew and behind-the-scenes professionals, breaking contracts or ending early can have real financial consequences.
Support, network, and empathy
On both sides — Kimmel welcoming talent, Colbert acknowledging losses — the tone matters. Mentorship, fairness, and professional pathways are key.

For Kimmel, opening those doors (even just in word) could be generous goodwill or strategic gesture — public support wrapped in a chance to stabilize his own show’s future.

What We Might Hear Next

This development is still rapidly evolving. Possible next moves to watch for:

Official hires or mergers
Will Kimmel’s show absorb parts of Colbert’s team? Or will former Colbert staff create new projects?
Statements or leaks
Which staffers asked? How many? Were they public about it? Who’s staying loyal, and who’s moving?
Talk show evolution
With Colbert’s exit, and suspensions and shakeups in shows like Kimmel’s, the late-night map is redrawing fast. New names, new shifts, new opportunities.
Negotiation fallout
Staffers often have contracts, benefits, noncompete clauses, etc. Transitions may be messy behind closed doors.
Audience perceptions and brand loyalty
Viewers may root for staff continuity or see new voices emerge. What feels authentic? What feels jumpy?

In the End: A Sad Chapter, a Pragmatic Move, and What It All Reveals

The fact that Kimmel is publicly talking about Colbert’s staff already asking for positions speaks to the emotional weight and uncertainty in this moment. It isn’t just about a show ending. It’s about people who have invested years, late nights, creative passion — trying to gauge the right move in a shifting landscape.

It’s a moment of shared heartbreak between colleagues. It’s also a window into how television, especially late-night television, lives everywhere — in personal bonds, in contracts, in reputation, in media’s unpredictable swings.

Above all, it’s a reminder that when the lights go down on a show, the culture, the community, the careers built inside it don’t just vanish — they transform, fracture, or find new homes. For Colbert’s team, the journey is already underway.

And as viewers, behind the laughs and monologues, it’s one of those rare moments where the machinery of entertainment becomes human, raw, exposed.