‘This Is Real.’ Stephen Colbert Recounts The Solid Jimmy Kimmel Did For Him Ahead Of His Emmys Win (And How He Wants To Pay Him Back Next Year)

From left to right: Jimmy Kimmel smiling at his desk and Stephen Colbert smiling and holding his Emmy in his left hand while sitting at his desk.

As we still sit in shock over the news that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was canceled, there have been moments of celebration and solidarity that make this sad situation a whole lot happier. Arguably, the biggest one came over the weekend as the Emmys aired on the 2025 TV schedule, and Colbert took home the award for Outstanding Talk Series. Then, we got another lovely instance, as he recounted a solid favor his fellow nominee, Jimmy Kimmel, did for him ahead of the award show.

During his first show back after winning his first Emmy, Colbert used his monologue to thank a bunch of folks who work with him and support his program. This included his fellow nominees, Jimmy Kimmel and Jon Stewart, both of whom – along with other late night personalities – loudly voiced their support for Colbert when his show was canceled.