Greg Gutfeld Seizes the Late-Night Crown After CBS Axes Colbert

No one saw it coming—certainly not this quickly, and certainly not like this. Greg Gutfeld, long seen as a political satirist more than a conventional entertainer, has now dethroned one of the biggest names in American television. With CBS abruptly canceling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the landscape of late-night comedy has been shaken to its core. Behind the public headlines, CBS insiders are quietly asking the same question as stunned fans and critics: How did a Fox News host steal the late-night crown?

A Shocking Cancellation

For nearly a decade, Colbert reigned at The Late Show, attracting millions of viewers with his blend of sharp satire and progressive politics. Yet in recent months, ratings had dipped, advertisers had grumbled, and CBS executives had grown restless. While Colbert still had a loyal following, his viewership was a fraction of what it had been during the Trump years, when his nightly monologues turned him into the loudest anti-Trump voice in comedy.

Then came the sudden announcement: CBS was pulling the plug. No farewell tour, no elaborate goodbye, no chance for Colbert to bow out gracefully. Just a blunt press release, a wave of shocked reactions online, and silence from the network’s longtime star.

Enter Greg Gutfeld

In the meantime, Greg Gutfeld’s Gutfeld!—a Fox News late-night program that debuted in 2021—was quietly doing something no one thought possible: beating the networks at their own game. His formula was simple yet disruptive. Instead of cozy celebrity interviews and polished comedy sketches, Gutfeld leaned into political satire, cultural commentary, and unscripted banter.

At first, critics scoffed. How could a show airing on a cable news channel, with a fraction of the production budget of CBS or NBC, possibly compete with the giants of late night? But as mainstream late-night audiences shrank, Gutfeld! found its niche: a loyal, politically right-leaning viewership hungry for comedy that reflected their frustrations and beliefs.

By 2023, the numbers spoke for themselves. Gutfeld was regularly pulling in over 2 million viewers per night—often eclipsing Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and Jimmy Kimmel. What was once unthinkable was now undeniable: a Fox News host had the highest-rated late-night show in America.

Why Colbert Fell

CBS insiders point to several reasons for Colbert’s abrupt fall.

1. The Trump effect wore off.
During the Trump presidency, Colbert’s nightly monologues went viral. But once the former president left office, the urgency faded. Jokes about Biden didn’t carry the same viral spark. Ratings sagged.

2. The show became predictable.
Viewers knew exactly what they would get: a left-leaning critique of Republicans, polished interviews with Hollywood celebrities, and a familiar format. In a fragmented media world, predictability is death.

3. Network impatience.
Advertising revenue was slipping. Streaming platforms were eating into CBS’s market share. Executives wanted fresh energy, not another season of shrinking returns.

Why Gutfeld Rose

While Colbert floundered, Gutfeld exploited a gap in the market.

1. He embraced contrarian comedy.
In a late-night field dominated by left-leaning hosts, Gutfeld positioned himself as the outsider willing to poke fun at Democrats, the media, and cultural elites. His humor felt fresh to audiences tired of one-note political jokes.

2. He tapped into Fox News’s built-in audience.
Fox already commanded one of the most loyal viewership bases in cable news. By offering them comedy as well as commentary, Gutfeld gave fans a reason to stick around after primetime.

3. He leaned into authenticity.
Unlike the glossy productions of network late night, Gutfeld! felt raw, even messy. But audiences connected with that. The laughter was less rehearsed, the jokes more conversational, and the vibe closer to a panel show than a scripted spectacle.

CBS in Panic Mode

Now, CBS executives are left scrambling. Losing Colbert isn’t just about one program; it’s about prestige. For decades, The Late Show was a jewel in the network’s crown, hosted by legends like David Letterman. That crown now belongs to a man broadcasting from Fox’s Manhattan studios.

Behind closed doors, executives are debating how to respond. Should they find a fresh-faced comedian to replace Colbert? Double down on political satire? Or pivot entirely to streaming, where younger audiences actually live? For now, no clear plan has emerged.

The Broader Late-Night Crisis

Gutfeld’s rise and Colbert’s fall aren’t isolated events—they’re symptoms of a larger crisis in late-night television. Viewership across the board has plummeted as younger audiences turn to YouTube, TikTok, and podcasts for laughs. The traditional formula of monologue-plus-interviews is struggling to survive in a digital-first era.

Jimmy Fallon’s once-dominant Tonight Show has seen its audience shrink dramatically. Jimmy Kimmel remains popular but polarizing. Seth Meyers and others fight for scraps of attention online. Against this backdrop, Gutfeld stands out—not just because of his numbers, but because he reinvented the format for a new, more polarized America.

The Political Factor

Of course, politics looms over all of this. Gutfeld is a Fox News personality. His humor isn’t just observational; it’s ideological. That has made him beloved by conservative audiences and dismissed by liberal critics. But in a polarized era, that partisanship may be a feature, not a bug.

Meanwhile, Colbert’s downfall has sparked soul-searching among Democrats who once saw him as their comedic champion. Without Trump as a foil, Colbert’s brand of humor struggled to stay sharp. Gutfeld, by contrast, has made Biden, woke culture, and the mainstream media his nightly targets—and in the current climate, that resonates.

What Comes Next

The late-night crown now sits with Greg Gutfeld, but questions remain. Can he sustain his success as more traditional comedians adapt? Will another outsider—perhaps from streaming platforms—leapfrog him the way he leapfrogged Colbert? And will CBS ever forgive itself for letting its flagship show collapse so abruptly?

For now, Gutfeld has already won something that seemed impossible just a few years ago: he has rewritten the rules of late night.

Conclusion

Greg Gutfeld’s rise and Stephen Colbert’s fall are two sides of the same story. One host doubled down on familiar formulas until they ran dry. The other leaned into disruption, found an underserved audience, and rode it to the top.

The result: a Fox News personality is now the king of late-night comedy. For CBS, it’s an embarrassment. For the industry, it’s a wake-up call. And for viewers, it’s proof that in television, nothing is permanent—not even the crown of late night.