Stephen Colbert revealed the timeline for "cleaning out the office" of The Late Show.
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"I've already packed my office," the comedian said.
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Other late-night hosts compared the staff's quick exit from the studio to the end of David Letterman's Late Show tenure.
Stephen Colbertalready has one foot out the door ofThe Late Show's studio.
During a roundtable conversation with fellow late-night hostsJimmy Fallon,Jimmy Kimmel,Seth Meyers, andJohn OliveronStrike Force Five, the comedian discussed the logistics of his exit from the Ed Sullivan Theater after the talk show airs its final episode on May 21.
Colbert explained that after he returns from celebrating his brother's wedding on May 23, he and his entire staff will have to vacate the office.
"[When] we come back, I'm cleaning out the office," Colbert said. "We gotta get our s--- out of here. No one's got a job after that night [of the last episode]. I think the next day, everyone's fired."
Colbert noted that "maybe the crew has some time to clear out, like the studio," but insisted that "the staff all has to be gone."
"I think the set has longer, or the crew has time to wrap," he said. "But I think they're gonna start tearing s--- out immediately. I know my staff is not paid the next day. They're out."
Entertainment Weeklyhas reached out to a representative for CBS for comment.
Colbert's personal belongings are already accounted for. "I'm packed. I'm already packed," he said. "I've already packed my office."
He also noted, "We all have to be out by the next Friday," in reference to May 29.
The other late-night hosts were surprised to hear how quickly Colbert is expected to leave the premises, though Fallon noted that the quick turnaround sounded familiar.
"That was the same with[David] Letterman, too, right?" theTonight Showhost asked. "'Cause he tells that story."
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Oliver added, "They threw his s--- outside!"
Colbert confirmed, "Yeah, Letterman, literally the next day, they threw his set out."
"He left, he went outside and saw stuff going in the dumpster from his set," Fallon said.
Meyers joked, "Well, it's cool they learned a lesson from that."
Indeed, Letterman, who hostedThe Late Showfor 23 seasons prior to Colbert's tenure, said that the remnants of his set were already on the street within a day of the show's conclusion in 2015.
"The band had barely quit playing and they dismantled the set and there were dumpsters on 53rd Street, and as I walked out of the building, I saw the detritus and the debris of my life at CBS being tossed into the dumpster," LettermantoldThe New York Timesearlier this year. "Now, that’s not a pleasant memory."
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Several outlets includingNPR,E! News, and theNew York Postreported that Letterman's set had been trashed the day after his final episode.
In July, CBSannouncedthatThe Late Showwould end after its current season, claiming that the discontinuation of the talk show was "purely a financial" move.
Colbert previously announced thatThe Late Showhas establishedan auctionof items from the set. Proceeds from the auction will be donated to charity.
The Late Show With Stephen Colbertwill air its final episode on May 21. You can watch the fullStrike Force Fiveconversation above.
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