Stephen Colbert has optimistically announced the “late-nightmare” is over after the return of Jimmy Kimmel Live!

The late-night host celebrated news of Kimmel’s return in his monologue Monday night, despite President Donald Trump’s warning that other hosts and shows might be next.

Kimmel, whose late-night show was suddenly pulled “indefinitely” from the air last week after threats from the Trump-appointed FCC chairman, Brendan Carr, will be returning to screens on Tuesday.

“Just a few hours before we taped this broadcast, we got word that our long, national, late-nightmare is over,” Colbert said, jokingly echoing the inauguration speech President Gerald Ford gave after the Watergate scandal.

Colbert’s news drew massive cheers from his audience.

Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel behind the scenes during the Emmy Awards. FOX/Fox
“This is wonderful news for my dear friend Jimmy and his amazing staff,” Colbert said.

“Plus, now that Jimmy’s not being canceled, I get to enjoy this again,” Colbert said, pulling out his recent Emmy award for Best Talk Show.

Colbert had won the award with the full support of Kimmel, who had even paid for billboards in Hollywood asking Emmy voters to vote for Colbert’s show instead of his own.

Referencing his own show’s cancelation from CBS in July and the allegedly political motivations behind it, Colbert declared, “Once more, I am the only martyr in late night.”

“Unless…” Colbert said. “CBS, you want to announce anything?”

Barring any surprise change of mind from CBS, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will still air its final episode in May 2026.

Although the return of Jimmy Kimmel Live! is good news for the many critics of ABC’s decision last week, things still haven’t completely returned to normal.

Sinclair Broadcast Group, which runs ABC-affiliated TV stations across the country, has announced that it will still be preempting Jimmy Kimmel Live! for the foreseeable future.

Many late-night fans are also concerned over Trump’s clear disdain not just for Kimmel but for the rest of the hosts.

Donald Trump is happy about Kimmel’s show being taken off air. Truth Social
When news of Kimmel’s suspension first broke, Trump celebrated the news on Truth Social and threatened that Kimmel and Colbert wouldn’t be the only hosts to have their shows canceled.

“That leaves Jimmy [Fallon] and Seth [Meyers], two total losers, on Fake News NBC,” Trump posted.

Trump has not yet commented on Kimmel’s return.

Fellow late-night host Seth Meyers also celebrated the Kimmel news Monday, declaring it proof that speaking out against the Trump administration can wield results.

“That’s good news,” Meyers said. “There has been a massive national backlash to Trump’s crackdown on free speech.”