There is one person who remains close to Stephen Colbert’s heart.
While accepting the award for Outstanding Talk Series at the 2025 Emmy Awards, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert host took a moment to honor his late assistant Amy Cole, who was by his side for more than 15 years before her death at the age of 53 in March 2024 following a brief illness.
“I want to dedicate this to my mom and dad, her mom and dad,” Stephen said onstage, growing emotional as he added, “and a young woman who should be here tonight: Amy Cole.”
In his speech, the 61-year-old also took a moment to thank his wife Evelyn McGee-Colbert and their children Madeline Colbert, Peter Colbert and John Colbert, before reflecting on the legacy his show is leaving behind after being cancelled by CBS earlier this year.
“In September of 2015, Spike Jonze stopped by my office and said, ‘Hey, what do you want this show to be about?’” Stephen recalled of a conversation with his friend. “I said, ‘Ah, Spike, I don’t know how you could do it, but I’d kind of like to do a late-night comedy show that was about love.’”
