Conan O’Brien has a word of advice for Stephen Colbert: Keep your mouth shut.
Well, he didn’t say that in so many words, but during O’Brien’s visit Monday to CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, O’Brien took on the tone (and strong Irish brogue) of an elder late-night statesman, saying as he took a seat on the couch, “Just as I was leaving my late-night show, I took you and all the other late-night hosts out. Remember this? I took you to a wonderful Sizzler restaurant, and we all had our trays and I told you guys – remember what I told you? – I said ‘Take care of late night. If you take care of late night, late night will take care of you.’ I said, ‘Don’t do anything to ruffle any feathers.’ Remember? I said that. And I said, ‘Whatever you do, don’t speak truth to power.’ I said, ‘Cowardice is the way.’”
“In 28 years I never read the news,” O’Brien continued, mock serious. “I had a masturbating bear and a plastic dog. I didn’t even know who was president!”
“Thanks for being here, Conan,” Colbert deadpanned.
Colbert’s show, of course, has been canceled by CBS and will go off the air in May 2026. News of the cancelation was followed more recently by the temporary suspension of ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! over remarks Kimmel made following the death of Charlie Kirk.
After his faux-advice, O’Brien turned serious to say, “I, of course, adore you. I love you. I know you as a person and also a comedic force and, like a lot of people, I’m very sad that this chapter is ending. But I also want to say that you are going to do amazing things, you’re going to have a lot of fun. And the connection you have — and this isn’t just you, it’s Mr. Kimmel and Fallon, all these guys have — it’s very special. The connection you have with the audience, you’re taking with you. No one else owns that. That’s yours for the rest of your life.”
“Well you’d know,” Colbert responded, “because your audience certainly loves you.”
Watch the segment below.