At the 2025 Emmys, Stephen Colbert delivered one of his most poignant speeches—not just accepting the award for Outstanding Talk Series, but speaking from a place of love, loss, and deep patriotism. His show is slated to end in May 2026 after ten seasons, yet Colbert used the moment to reflect on what it has meant: “a late-night comedy show that was about love… at a certain point … about loss.”
Colbert didn’t shy away from the personal stakes: he thanked his 200-person staff, named his late assistant Amy Cole, and acknowledged how much he treasures connection in his work. “Sometimes, you only know how much you love something when you sense that you might be losing it.”
But it wasn’t just sadness. It was also resolve. He ended by saying he had “never loved my country more desperately,” calling for strength and bravery—urging people not to be dragged down by despair but to punch for higher floors. In an era of political polarization and media shakeups, Colbert’s speech emerges as a call not just to stay strong, but to hold fast to compassion and belonging.
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