It really is the end of a late-night era! Craig Ferguson announced on April 28 that he will be leaving ‘Late Late Night’ in December, after hosting the talk show for nearly a decade.
Fans said a tearful goodbye to late-night legend Jay Leno this year when he hosted his final episode of The Tonight Show on Feb. 6. Less than two months later, David Letterman announced that he would be retiring from the Late Show in 2015. And now, we’re losing another late-night staple — Craig Ferguson! Craig revealed the news to his audience during an April 28 taping of his show — so sad!
Craig Ferguson Leaving ‘Late Late Show’ — Host Stepping Down In December
Craig has definitely had a quieter career than some of his late-night counterparts, which is understandable considering his 12:35 a.m. time slot. Still, over the years, the quirky Scottish actor, writer and former rock musician has amassed a modest following of fans who appreciate his wacky observational humor and knack for storytelling.
Craig, who began hosting the Late Late Show in 2005, announced the sad news of his departure during a 5 p.m. PST taping of the April 28 episode.
Ever the jokester, Craig also poked fun of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin‘s recent separation in a statement issued by CBS: “CBS and I are not getting divorced, we are ‘consciously uncoupling,’ but we will still spend holidays together and share custody of the fake horse and robot skeleton, both of whom we love very much.”
Craig will host his final episode of the Late Late Show in December, when his contract with the network expires, our sister site Variety reports.
Craig Ferguson: Was CBS Trying To Replace Him?
Craig’s announcement comes approximately two weeks after CBS chose Stephen Colbert to replace David Letterman when the Late Show host retires in 2015. We’re sure Craig was upset about the network overlooking him for the gig, but a source tells HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY that not only did CBS not consider him a worthy replacement for Dave, but they also were planning to give Craig the boot from his own show!
“They have been secretly shopping his time slot and he got wind of it,” our source reveals.
Poor Craig! So what do YOU think, HollywoodLifers? Are you upset that Craig is leaving the Late Late Show? Do you think he should have been chosen to replace David Letterman on the Late Show, instead of Stephen Colbert? Let us know!
— Written by Tierney McAfee, Reporting by Russ Weakland
