Highlights

• Late-night talk shows suffered during the 2020 pandemic and the 2023 writer's and actor's strike but made a strong comeback.
• Beloved host Craig Ferguson left The Late Late Show in 2014, but it was not due to being fired or pushed out, he had always intended to leave.
• Ferguson's decision to leave the show after 10 years was due to feeling overwhelmed by the workload and the negative impact it had on his mental health.

Late-night talk shows took a hit both with the 2020 pandemic and the writer's and actor's strike of 2023. But like all things in the entertainment industry, they came back with a vengeance to throngs of fans who were happy to not have to watch reruns of the shows they loved or watch hosts try to make a go of a talk show from their homes in 2020.

A beloved host who got out of the late-night game before any of that took place was Craig Ferguson. Craig hosted The Late Late Show for a decade until he decided to step down from his hosting duties in 2014, handing the baton over to James Corden. When this happened, many thought that Craig was fired or pushed out from his hosting duties given James' popularity. Popularity that waned after controversy, and Corden himself would leave The Late Late Show in 2023. But as it turn out, Craig never intended to stay as long as he did at the late-night world party he was a part of.

Because his late-night style was unlike his predecessors, Craig's fans were sad to see him go. At the time Craig left The Late Late Show, fans were surprised he was leaving given his high ratings. And it would not be until sometime later that the real reason why Craig Ferguson left the show was revealed.

Updated January 2024: Craig Ferguson looked poised to come back to late-night television on his terms with a show called 'Channel Surf'. The show had a pilot episode shot in the UK and was then shopped around to studios in Los Angeles. Whether the strike affected the start date or if it is now indefinitely shelved has not been disclosed. But even without 'Channel Surf' Ferguson is remaining busy with his podcast, 'Joy' which has been a fan favorite since it began in August 2023.

Craig Ferguson's Early Career

Craig Ferguson first gained notoriety on The Drew Carey Show

The Scotland-born comedian made quite the splash in Hollywood thanks to his incredible stand-up, his role on The Drew Carey Show, and his many writing duties; all of which were deepened by Craig's complicated and messy past.

Anyone who has read his fabulous autobiography, American On Purpose, knows just how ugly his battle with substances became. After all, he was on his way to end his life and decided to have a drink first... Hours later, he was still drinking at the bar and forgot what he had left his house to do.

Craig Ferguson's sobriety and self-reflection allowed him to grow a level of self-awareness and understanding of his place in the universe that made him downright funny in a completely unpretentious and easy-going way.

This is probably what attracted CBS to him and why he was hired for the hosting duties at The Late Late Show.

Craig Ferguson Hosts 'The Late Late Show'

Craig Ferguson took the hosting duties of The Late Late Show over from Craig Kilborn

Craig Ferguson's job at The Late Late Show, which followed The Late Show With David Letterman, opened up because the previous host, Craig Kilborn, randomly decided to leave.

During an interview with the About Last Night Podcast, Craig Ferguson detailed how he got the talk show job, to begin with. "They tested out four guys. Well, they tested out a lot of people actually. But they boiled it down to four guys", Craig explained. "We each got a week doing the late-night show."

Eventually, David Letterman, Peter Lassally, and now disgraced CBS CEO Les Moonves decided that Craig was the right for the job, a job that he did for a whopping ten years!

Craig Ferguson's 'The Late Late Show' Wasn't Canceled

Craig Ferguson chose to leave The Late Late Show despite rumors that the show was canceled

Time and time again, the press keeps running stories about how Craig Ferguson's Late Late Show was canceled, but, according to him, this simply isn't true.

In fact, he wanted to quit the show two years before he actually did, but CBS liked him so much that they offered to upgrade his studio and contract for two more years. So, Craig decided to stay.

According to his interview on The Howard Stern Show, Craig was even pulling around $8-$9 million per year by the end of his ten-year run.

And then the late night was hit by a massive change. David Letterman, Craig's iconic lead-in, was retiring and was to be replaced by Stephen Colbert. The press immediately believed that Craig had been slighted for the job, but Craig repeatedly made it very clear... He did not want to host The Late Show.

In fact, Craig saw David's departure as the perfect opportunity to leave his own show. And so he did!

Why Craig Ferguson Left 'The Late Late Show'

Craig Ferguson planned to host The Late Late Show for two years, but ended up hosting for 10 years

As Craig said in an interview with the Build Series, he felt overwhelmed by how much work it was, which he even detailed in his memoir, Riding the Elephant.

"I did 250 shows a year for ten years. That's too much. And it makes you crazy," Craig explained. He also said that he warned Seth Meyers that his talk show would make him crazy too. Apparently, Craig has been checking in with Seth from time to time and believes he's on his way to feeling the same about it.

"I think I went crazy because it elevates levels of selfishness and self-importance in yourself that are unhealthy."

In reality, Craig had only planned on doing The Late Late Show for two years. But with how popular it had become and the fact that Craig enjoyed doing the show, especially in the early days of the show, it went on for 10 years with Craig instead.

Those hosting talents have done Craig well with his podcast, Joy. A podcast that has been a fan favorite since it premiered in August 2023.

There have also been rumors of Craig coming back for another late-night show, Channel Surf. However, the announcement that the show was being shopped around happened in January 2023. Since that time, there has not been any movement on the show, perhaps as a result of the strike that lasted into the Fall of 2023. Whether or not the project is still a possibility remains to be seen. But even if it has been indefinitely shelved, Craig remains happy with his decision to leave The Late Late Show when he did, going out on top and before he disliked his job.