Stephen Colbert’s appendicitis takes The Late Show off the air

Poor Stephen Colbert. First, he’s kept off the air by the writers strike, then he contracts COVID-19, then his appendix ruptures. The latter is the latest medical emergency to befall The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, as the host announced via Instagram Threads on Monday.

“Sorry to say that I have to cancel our shows this week,” the statement reads. “I’m sure you’re thinking, ‘Turkey overdose, Steve? Gravy boat capsize?’ Actually, I’m recovering from surgery for a ruptured appendix. I’m grateful to my doctors for their care and to Evie and the kids for putting up with me. Going forward, all emails to my appendix will be handled by my pancreas.”

According to Deadline, guests slated for the nightly talk show this week included Jennifer Garner, Baz Luhrmann, Patrick Stewart, and Kelsey Grammer. Barbra Streisand was reportedly supposed to take The Colbert Questionert, and former bandleader Jon Batiste, recently nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys, was set to return for an interview and a performance.

The Late Show was last disrupted in October when Colbert got COVID-19 after seeing Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour movie in theaters. “It was great. I sang, I laughed, I screamed along with my fellow Swifties who were so excited that they came to the theater despite their high fevers, loss of taste and smell, and… OK, that’s where I got COVID. I got COVID (Taylor’s Version),” he joked in his monologue at the time. After a short stint doing the show from home, he ended up canceling the rest of the shows for the week, posting a statement to social media that read, “Sorry to say, per doctor’s orders, I’m going to be out for the rest of the week. Resting up so that I can deliver the hand-crafted, artisanal talk show that we so enjoy serving you.”

Get well soon, Mr. Colbert!