John Oliver scared his audience Sunday night after telling them he was ending Last Week Tonight after learning that an Australian zoo named a koala chlamydia ward after him in retaliation for buying up Russell Crowe‘s movie memorabilia to send to an Alaskan Blockbuster.
Weโve achieved a koala chlamydia ward, so thereโs nothing left for us to accomplish. pic.twitter.com/wll7kQwaF0
โ Last Week Tonight (@LastWeekTonight) May 7, 2018
The bizarre back-and-forth started in an episode last month, when Oliver revealed he bought several items from Crowe’s recent auction, including his Cinderella Man jockstrap, just to send to one of the last surviving Blockbusters in Anchorage.
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“I think this is such a wonderful random act of kindness that I am planning now on how to best used the @iamjohnoliver money he spent on groin protectors and such,” Crowe replied on Twitter. “Given his often shown genuine love for Australians and Australia, it’s got to be something special.”
That “something special” turned out to be the Australia Zoo naming its chlamydia ward The John Oliver Koala Chlamydia Ward. Apparently, the disease is running rampant among Australia’s adorable koala popultion.
Great news for Koala everywhere. @AustraliaZoo @wildwarriors @LastWeekTonight @iamjohnoliver @rickygervais pic.twitter.com/RrwBqfy5N9
โ Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) May 3, 2018
“I have so many questions. First one really has to be: How did all those koalas get chlamydia?” Oliver wondered, notes Deadline.
Oliver then told his viewers he had one goal in mind when he started his HBO show, and it was written in an envelope. When he opened it, the document read “Koala Chlamydia Ward.”
Since he achieved that goal, he told everyone he can now end Last Week Tonight for good.
To the viewers who wondered, “Wasn’t making four and a half seasons of aggressively researched comedy a fairly inefficiently way of getting get a Koala Chlamydia Ward named after you?” Oliver replied, “Well, I mean, it worked. So, fโ you, I guess?”
At the very end of the show, Oliver watched his set get torn down.
“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with some very contagious koalas. That is our series. Thank you so much for watching,” Oliver said. “Goodbye forever, everyone. I regret nothing. My work here is done.”
Fans took to Twitter to wonder if Oliver was serious. Others pointed out that Oliver was renewed through 2020 in September 2017. Plus, Oliver’s show is on the schedule for next week. This would have been one strange way to end the show.
Here’s how Twitter reacted to the strange way Oliver ended his show. The comments sent viewers to Google the real status of the show.
Part of me knows John Oliver is joking. But at the same time a need verification that this is not the last episode of #LastWeekTonight pic.twitter.com/uDYPGou6rc
โ Sarcasm & Whiskey ๐ฌ๐พ (@ExtrovertedSide) May 7, 2018
I had to look for this because I was worried John Oliver wasn’t joking tonight!!! pic.twitter.com/tMr0PDNnEj
โ Heather (@realHeatherD) May 7, 2018
Did John Oliver really just quit Last week tonight?
โ amgfield (@AMGfields) May 7, 2018
John Oliver. That was a joke right? Youโre not really done right?! #Lastweektonight #koala #chlamydia #koalachlamydiaward #RussellCrowe #SundayNight #goodnight
โ CT Bizzle (@theCTLeClair) May 7, 2018
Had to check to HBO tv guide for next week to make sure @iamjohnoliver was joking that this was the series finale of @LastWeekTonight… I almost cried… I would be devastated!!! pic.twitter.com/9CCk6OXUdx
โ Lisa Reid (@LisaReid89) May 7, 2018
Photo credit: Twitter/Last Week Tonight