Jimmy Kimmel Says Stephen Colbert’s Staff Have Asked Him for Jobs Ahead of The Late Show Ending — Here’s How Colbert Responded

Jimmy Kimmel may soon have some new faces joining his team — straight from Stephen Colbert’s Late Show staff.

During the September 30 episode of The Late Show, where Kimmel and Colbert appeared as guests on each other’s shows as part of Kimmel’s week in Brooklyn, Kimmel (57) revealed that members of Colbert’s team had already approached him about possible job opportunities — ahead of the Late Show officially ending in 2026.

“Can I just say something about your staff? You have an amazing team. Your writers, your show — all of it is just fantastic. I really mean that. I’m not just saying it because we’re on TV,” Kimmel told Colbert (61).
“You’re a great person. But I have to add — the first ten people from your staff came up to me and said, ‘I’ll leave today if you hire me.’”

Colbert took it in good humor as the audience laughed, smiling and replying:

“As well they should.”
Then he joked: “By the way, are you hiring? Because I’m free in June if you need anyone. I could be Guillermo’s sidekick, if that’s okay. Happy to do it.”

The friendly exchange took a more emotional turn as Kimmel expressed sympathy for Colbert’s team:

“What happened to your staff is just terrible. It’s such a shame. You all do such a great show — and people love it.”

Colbert then reflected on the incredible team he’s built over the years:

“This is the greatest group of people I’ve ever worked with,” he said, adding that it took him 20 years to assemble the team he has now.

This candid, heartfelt conversation comes more than two months after Colbert announced that The Late Show would come to an end in May 2026, after ten seasons. The announcement came during the July 17 episode.

CBS later told PEOPLE the decision to end the show was “purely financial,” made in light of the increasingly difficult landscape for late-night television. The announcement also came just days after Colbert publicly criticized CBS’s parent company, Paramount, for its $16 million settlement with former President Donald Trump, finalized on July 3.

That settlement happened while Paramount was in the middle of a high-stakes merger with entertainment company Skydance — a deal that required approval from the Trump administration. The merger was finalized on August 7.

In the wake of the news, Kimmel showed public support for Colbert, posting on Instagram Stories:

“Love you Stephen. F— CBS and all your Sheldons.”

He even put up a billboard in Los Angeles encouraging Emmy voters to support Colbert’s show in the Outstanding Talk Series category — and it paid off. The Late Show took home the Emmy on September 14.

Later in the September 30 episode, Kimmel also gave some insight into his own show’s recent one-week hiatus, while Colbert returned the praise with a personal tribute to his longtime friend:

“I’m so happy your show is back on the air,” Colbert said.
“We’ve known each other for 20 years, but only got close in the last few years. And the more I get to know you, the more I admire you — as a leader, and as a friend.
And you know what? I just found out something I didn’t realize before: you’re actually funny.”