Stephen Colbert, whose “Late Show” ended in May, has encouraged Emmy voters to select Jimmy Kimmel for Outstanding Variety Series over his own nominated program. Colbert, appearing in a video filmed at the edge of a cliff and sporting a beard, stated that Kimmel, host of ABC's “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” deserves the award.

Colbert’s “Late Show” is nominated for Outstanding Variety Series alongside “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” “The Daily Show,” and “Saturday Night Live” at the 2026 Emmy Awards. In the social media video, Colbert noted the limited time for Emmy voting and directly addressed the Outstanding Variety Series category. "I think we can all agree that Jimmy Kimmel deserves an Emmy," Colbert said, displaying an image of Kimmel on a tablet. "I don’t care if you’ve never even seen his show, you know he deserves an Emmy."

He concluded the plea by saying, "Besides, look how cute he is. Anyway, please consider thinking that Jimmy deserves an Emmy. I do. I love you."

The cancellation of Colbert’s “The Late Show” by CBS in 2025 was attributed to financial reasons, although some suggested political motivations. The show was reportedly losing the network $40 million annually. Colbert himself openly contested the network's explanation on his show.

Colbert and Kimmel have a history of mutual support. Kimmel had publicly criticized CBS for ending Colbert's program and notably went dark during the final episode of “The Late Show.” On the eve of Colbert's farewell show, Kimmel advised viewers, "I will be watching tomorrow night. I hope that those of you who watch our show will also tune in to CBS for the last time. Don’t ever watch it again."

NewsBusters managing editor Curtis Houck described Colbert's plea as "beyond pathetic and embarrassing," characterizing it as evidence of a partisan industry that fuels "all-Trump hate, all the time." Houck suggested that both hosts have contributed to a decline in network comedy.

Kimmel himself has faced scrutiny for his on-air remarks, including a brief suspension by Disney for controversial comments regarding Charlie Kirk and an "expectant widow" joke about former first lady Melania Trump that drew criticism from the president and first lady.