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David Letterman Will Retire from Late Show in 2015

2 minute read
By Eliana Dockterman

David Letterman plans to retire from the Late Show on CBS in 2015, the host announced during a taping of his show on Thursday, CNN’s Brian Stelter reported via Twitter. Mike Mills, the bassist for REM—the musical guest on the show Thursday—broke the news on Twitter.

According to a statement, Letterman said that he had informed President and CEO of CBS Corporation Leslie Moonves that he will step down as his contract expires:

The man who owns this network, Leslie Moonves, he and I have had a relationship for years and years and years, and we have had this conversation in the past, and we agreed that we would work together on this circumstance and the timing of this circumstance. And I phoned him just before the program, and I said “Leslie, it’s been great, you’ve been great, and the network has been great, but I’m retiring.”

During a standing ovation by the audience at the Ed Sullivan theater, he added: “We don’t have a timetable for this precisely down — I think it will be at least a year or so, but sometime in the not too distant future, 2015 for the love of God, in fact, Paul and I will be wrapping things up,”

Letterman has been a late night broadcaster for more than 32 years. He has recorded almost 6,000 episodes. He was the first host of Late Night at NBC beginning in 1982. He moved to the Late Show at CBS in 1993 and has been there since. The Late Show has won eight Emmys and been nominated for 108 during his tenure. It also received a Peabody.

Other late night hosts, celebs and journalists have already responded to the announcement:

Others on Twitter are speculating that Jay Leno will take his spot. Letterman outlasted Leno for the title of longest-serving late night host in history.

Photos: David Letterman’s Early Career

Mork & Mindy
One of David Letterman's earliest roles before he made it as a television host was as a guest star on Mork & Mindy.CBS/Getty Images
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Before he received his own show, Letterman was a regular guest host for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Above, he is seen interviewing Betty White.Paul Drinkwater—NBC/Getty Images
Truma Capote and David Letterman on the David Letterman show.
In 1980, Letterman finally got his own morning comedy show, The David Letterman Show. Above, he is seen interviewing Truman Capote.Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Late Night with David Letterman
After the cancellation of his morning show, Letterman was given a new show and time slot, Late Night With David Letterman which immediately followed The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. The first version of the Late Night franchise, debuted on February 1, 1982 and would eventually be succeeded by Conan O’Brien, seen above.Al Levine—NBC/Getty Images
Ed Sullivan Theater which is owned by CBS has the Late Show
Letterman left NBC for CBS to start the Late Show with David Letterman when NBC gave the reigns of The Tonight Show to Jay Leno instead of him after Johnny Carson's retirement. The first show debuted on August 30, 1993, with Letterman's retirement announced for 2015.New York Daily News Archive/Getty Images

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Write to Eliana Dockterman at eliana.dockterman@time.com