Colbert calls himself ‘only martyr in late-night’ as Kimmel returns

Late-night host Stephen Colbert celebrated the return of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” this week — lauding the idea that he is now the “only martyr in late-night” following Disney’s announcement that it will be bringing Kimmel’s show back.

“You know, I’m so happy for them. Plus, now that Jimmy’s not being canceled, I get to enjoy this again,” Colbert said on Monday, holding the Emmy Award his show recently won. “Once again, I am the only martyr in late-night.”

Kimmel’s late-night show was pulled off the air last Wednesday after Kimmel’s remarks about the alleged assassin of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk sparked outrage and a veiled warning from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Disney decided to suspend the show after two major affiliate owners pulled airings of Kimmel from their stations, and Kimmel reportedly had told executives he would not apologize for his comments.

CHARLIE KIRK ALLY RESPONDS TO DISNEY’S DECISION TO LIFT JIMMY KIMMEL’S SUSPENSION

“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said on his show last week.

Conservatives were outraged by the comments suggesting the suspected killer was a MAGA member.

However, The Walt Disney Company announced that Kimmel’s show will return on Tuesday following a brief suspension.

“Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country.  It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive.  We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday,” a Disney spokesperson told Digital. 

WHY ABC BRINGS BACK JIMMY KIMMEL TODAY AFTER ITS DEBACLE OVER FREE SPEECH

Kimmel’s suspension caused outrage among liberals who claimed that his show being taken off the air was a free speech issue.  (Getty Images)

During his show on Monday, Colbert used Disney’s change of heart on Kimmel’s suspension to take a dig at his own network, CBS.

“Wait. Unless, CBS, you want to announce anything? Huh? Still no? Right, because of the money thing, I forgot,” he ribbed.

Colbert’s longtime role as host of “The Late Show” is set to come to an end in May 2026. CBS said the decision was “purely” financial and “not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount,” the network’s parent company.

Paramount’s settlement with President Donald Trump over his CBS News “60 Minutes” lawsuit was criticized by Colbert and others as a way to appease the administration ahead of the $8 billion Skydance merger. The merger was approved on July 24 and completed on Aug. 7.

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Colbert repeatedly mocked Paramount’s merger with Skydance Media on his show. (CBS/Colbert)

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‘ Brian Flood contributed to this report.