After CBS said it was canceling “The Late Show,” people online claimed its host announced a new show in collaboration with MSNBC host Rachel Maddow.

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After CBS said in July 2025 that it was canceling “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” the following May, citing financial reasons, posts circulated on Facebook claiming Colbert announced a new show in collaboration with MSNBC host Rachel Maddow.

For example, the text of one Facebook post, which received more than 100,000 reactions as of this writing, read:
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“SHOCKING TWIST: AFTER THE LATE SHOW CANCELLATION, STEPHEN COLBERT TEAMS UP WITH RACHEL MADDOW FOR EXPLOSIVE NEW SHOW—IS THIS THE FUTURE OF LATE-NIGHT TV?”

In a jaw-dropping turn of events, Stephen Colbert, following the sudden cancellation of The Late Show, has announced a bold new partnership with none other than Rachel Maddow for an explosive new program. Could this dynamic duo redefine the landscape of late-night television? The reunion of these two media powerhouses is already causing waves, and fans are wondering if CBS regrets letting Colbert go.

The new show promises to be a game-changer, blending Colbert’s wit with Maddow’s insightful commentary, a combination that could keep viewers hooked for years to come. But with such a bold move, is this the future of entertainment or a risky gamble that could backfire?

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Snopes readers emailed us and searched our website to ask if the claim was true.

However, there was no evidence that Colbert publicly announced a new show in collaboration with Maddow. As a result, we’ve rated this claim false.

No credible media outlets reported that Colbert announced such a partnership with Maddow. A Google search for “Colbert announced new show with Rachel Maddow” turned up unrelated news articles or social media posts with similar text as those included above.

Neither Colbert nor Maddow announced any such collaboration on their personal social media accounts. Colbert’s Instagram and X accounts did not include any announcements about a show with Maddow, while Maddow’s X and Instagram accounts also made no mention of a partnership with Colbert.

A spokesperson for MSNBC also told Snopes via email that the claim was false. Representatives for Paramount did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.

Posts that shared the rumor about Colbert announcing a new show with Maddow linked out to articles published by several different websites, including one with a “USA News” logo. Websites with this same “USA News” logo previously published a false story about Maddow announcing that she was having a baby via surrogacy.
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The articles also showed signs that they were generated using artificial intelligence (AI). We pasted a portion of one of the articles’ text into GPTZero, an AI detection tool, which indicated it was “highly confident” that the content was AI-generated, though it’s worth noting these types of tools are not always accurate.

These kinds of fabricated stories about celebrities are often created to generate advertising revenue for the websites that share them.

The text of the articles themselves also indicated the news of a collaboration between Colbert and Maddow was unconfirmed. For example, the text read, in part (emphasis ours):

A Stunning Comeback in the Making

In a turn of events that has the entertainment world buzzing, sources close to the industry suggest that Stephen Colbert, fresh off the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, is set to join forces with MSNBC’s powerhouse host Rachel Maddow for an electrifying new venture. Dubbed The Rachel Maddow and Stephen Colbert Show, this hypothetical collaboration could launch as early as late 2026, filling the void left by CBS’s bold decision to end its 33-year late-night legacy in May of that year. Imagine the dynamic: Colbert’s razor-sharp humor paired with Maddow’s incisive political analysis, creating a late-night hybrid that blends comedy, commentary, and cultural critique like never before. Could this be the lifeline late-night TV desperately needs, or a risky experiment that leaves traditional networks scrambling?

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For further reading, Snopes investigated if Maddow “shattered” White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller’s reputation during a TV interview and whether White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt debated Colbert on “The Late Show.”