Jimmy Kimmel takes Stephen Colbert support to a new level with surprise move

Jimmy Kimmel has taken his support for Stephen Colbert to a new level in the wake of CBS cancelling The Late Show. Kimmel's latest move not only adds to his history of supporting competitors, but also risks Jimmy Kimmel Live! missing out on

Kimmel surprised the entertainment industry by placing a billboard in West Hollywood calling for Stephen Colbert to win the Outstanding Talk Series Emmy. The image features Kimmel along with the words "I'm Voting for Stephen." Jimmy Kimmel Live! is up for the same award against The Late Show and The Daily Show.

The billboard is near the Television Academy headquarters and other offices related to the entertainment world. Kimmel appears to have picked the location to make it impossible to miss for Emmy voters. It also suggests Kimmel isn't worried about his show's standing in late-night or that an Emmy win would do anything for its future.

Despite President Donald Trump's claims that ABC will soon fire Kimmel, he isn't going anywhere. However, Kimmel has been frank about late-night's future and whether he'd even want to stick around for years to come. And the fate of The Late Show seems to have made Kimmel less optimistic about what's to come.

When CBS made the shocking announcement that it would cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in May 2026, Kimmel was among the first to speak out. The ABC late-night host harshly criticized CBS, its parent company Paramount, and President Donald Trump for his alleged role in Colbert losing his job. Kimmel remains on summer vacation, so he hasn't said anything on air yet. But his social media posts continue to express support for Colbert.

It's a major turnaround from earlier this year when Kimmel voiced support for CBS. During an upfront presentation for Disney, Kimmel asked advertisers to support the rival network as it faced a lawsuit from President Trump. As it turns out, that lawsuit may have played a significant role in pulling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert off the air.

But Kimmel backing his fellow late-night hosts, even if they are competition, is nothing new. He famously came to Conan O'Brien's defense during the Tonight Show saga, relentlessly mocking Jay Leno. When David Letterman aired his final episode, Kimmel told his audience to watch The Late Show and ran a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on the same night.

Those gestures pale in comparison to what Kimmel is doing for Stephen Colbert. And expect the late-night host to only ramp things up when he returns to his show next month.

The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards will air September 14, 2025.

More from Last Night On;