Colbert hilariously bids his final farewell to Bill O’Reilly
By Jeremy Dick
Stephen Colbert reprised his conservative alter-ego from The Colbert Report to say goodbye to fired Fox News TV host Bill O’Reilly.
Bill O’Reilly has officially been let go from his job at Fox News in the wake of sexual harassment allegations. This is seen as great news by the late night TV show hosts. Seeing the controversial figure taken down is giving them plenty of material, as a lot of people have been waiting for this moment.
Perhaps this resonates the most with The Late Show‘s Stephen Colbert. After all, O’Reilly was the biggest source of inspiration for Colbert’s far-right alter-ego on The Colbert Report. Although Colbert has since moved to CBS, it seems he isn’t forgetting his roots as a Bill O’Reilly parody.
On last night’s Late Show, Colbert took some time to talk about the news of the firing. After expressing his initial shock, Colbert admits he owes his career to O’Reilly. He jokes that he spent nine years playing a parody of him, and then 12 months in therapy to recover.
To say his final goodbye to the man who inspired The Colbert Report, Colbert reprised his O’Reilly-based persona. He accuses the nation of failing O’Reilly, and takes a few jabs at the sexual harassment charges. Colbert tells “Papa Bear” to stay strong before breaking down in tears.
You can watch the hilarious YouTube video below.
One of the best things to come out of O’Reilly’s dismissal from Fox is seeing Colbert’s alter-ego make a return. Using the Colbert Report character to say his final farewell seems very appropriate.