Why Did Steven Colbert Need 200 People to Bash Trump Every Night?

Piers Morgan Criticizes Stephen Colbert’s Late Show

Piers Morgan, a well-known television personality, recently took to the airwaves to express his opinions on the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s late-night show. Morgan questioned why Colbert needed a large team of 200 employees to deliver what he described as repetitive and unoriginal content. He specifically criticized the show for focusing too much on anti-Trump jokes.

During an appearance on Fox News, Morgan expressed his views on the now-canceled The Late Show. He claimed that the program was not only boring but also unoriginal. Morgan pointed out that the show's ratings were declining, and it was costing the network approximately $40 million annually. He emphasized that with 200 staff members, the show was essentially just preparing the same tired Trump gags every night.

Morgan is in a unique position to critique Colbert, given his own experience as the host of Piers Morgan Live, which replaced Larry King Live on CNN. The show ran from 2011 until 2014 when it was canceled due to poor ratings. Despite its failure, Morgan has always been candid about the reasons behind its cancellation.

In addition to criticizing Colbert, Morgan also spoke about other late-night hosts who he believes focus too heavily on President Trump. He mentioned Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver, suggesting that their content is overly focused on Trump-bashing. Morgan described this approach as a "one-trick pony," arguing that it has led to a backlash from viewers who are tired of constant criticism of the former president.

Morgan, who identifies as a former liberal disillusioned by what he calls "woke excesses," predicted that Colbert would not be the only one affected by this shift in audience sentiment. He suggested that people are looking for more diverse and uncensored commentary. According to Morgan, audiences want to see content that is "uncensored, unfiltered" rather than a "one-trick, whiny pony" constantly criticizing the person they voted for.

This criticism comes at a time when Colbert faced additional challenges. A small group of supporters staged a protest outside the CBS Broadcast Center, showing their disappointment over the decision to cancel his show. The protest, titled "We're with Colbert," highlighted the mixed reactions to the cancellation.

CBS announced the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert earlier this month. This decision followed Colbert's public criticism of the network's $16 million settlement with President Trump, which he called a "big fat bribe." Executives cited financial reasons for the cancellation, stating that the show, which costs $100 million annually to produce, ended up losing $40 million.

Colbert earns between $15 million and $20 million per year, with most of the remaining costs attributed to his large staff. The show, which began in 2015, will conclude in May 2026, according to executives from CBS and Paramount, the show's new parent company.

In a statement, CBS and Paramount said, "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of the broadcast season." They added, "We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire the Late Show franchise at that time."

The network emphasized that the decision to cancel the show was purely financial, citing the challenging landscape of late-night television. They clarified that the move was not related to the show’s performance, content, or any issues within Paramount.