Stephen Colbert Suffers Medical Emergency, Cancels ‘Late Show’ for One Week

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is taking this week off as its host recovers from an emergency surgery. The show’s official pages on social media announced on Monday that Colbert suffered a ruptured appendix over the Thanksgiving weekend. A lighthearted message from Colbert himself indicated that he is healing well but he will need the rest of this week before he can get back on the air.

“Sorry to say that I have to cancel our shows this week,” the post reads. “I’m sure you’re thinking, ‘Turkey overdose, Steve? Gravy boat capsize?’ Actually, I’m recovering from surgery for a ruptured appendix. I’m grateful to my doctors for their care and to Evie and the kids for putting up with me. Going forward, all emails to my appendix will be handled by my pancreas.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, patients typically spend one or two days in the hospital after an appendectomy. However, in the case of a ruptured appendix like Colbert’s, it may take longer since the surgery may be more invasive. After leaving the hospital, patients are advised to limit their activity for at least three days and up to 14 days depending on what kind of surgery they got. If Colbert plans on getting back to work on Monday, he may be cutting it close.

The Late Show had a packed schedule this week. Tuesday night would have featured Jennifer Garner and Baz Luhrmann as guests, while John Scofield would have performed with Louis Cato and the Late Show Band. The show’s former band leader Jon Batiste would have returned on Wednesday for a performance, while actor Patrick Stewart would have been the guest. Thursday night would have featured guests Barbra Streisand and Kelsey Grammer. Presumably, the producers will try to reschedule these appearances if possible but some may need to be scrapped.

Of course, this isn’t The Late Show‘s first big interruption this year. The show was on hiatus for the entire summer during the Writers’ Guild of America (WGA) strike from May to September. The record-long strike featured unprecedented coordination between the late night TV hosts, including Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, John Oliver and Jimmy Fallon. The five even co-hosted a podcast called Strike Force Five during their downtime, donating all their proceeds to the writers and other crew members while they were out of work.

The Late Show is off all week but is expected to return on Monday, Dec. 4. Colbert seems to be recovering without complications.