When did Taylor Tomlinson join After Midnight? Comedian departs from the show after 2 seasons

Comedian Taylor Tomlinson has recently opened up about her wish to go back to stand-up following CBS's announcement that she is discontinuing her late-night comedy show, After Midnight, after two seasons.

The series, which debuted on January 17, 2024, is hosted by the 31-year-old comedian. Due to Tomlinson's choice to leave the program, the show is cancelled after two seasons, despite having been renewed for a third.

Taylor Tomlinson will leave once the last episodes air in June 2025. Announcing the same, Tomlinson posted a message on her Instagram Story on March 27, explaining her choice:

“Being the host of After Midnight for the past two seasons was the experience of a lifetime and I am so lucky I got the chance to be a part of this show."

She continued:

"As a touring comic, I never thought I would be able to host a daily show like this and it’s because of the incredible @M team that it was possible for me to do so as long as I did.”

---

Taylor Tomlinson is leaving the show to focus on her stand-up comedy acts

Taylor Tomlinson hosted the show, which was executive produced by Stephen Colbert through his firm Spartina Productions, Henry R. Muñoz III through his comedy studio Funny or Die, and Tom Purcell, executive producer of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

On January 17, 2024, the show debuted on CBS at 12:30 am ET, replacing The Late Late Show, and was streamed on Paramount+ the next day.

According to Vulture's March 26 story, Taylor Tomlinson went on to discuss her time in the show:

“Hosting After Midnight has genuinely been the experience of a lifetime, and I’ll be forever grateful for the opportunity to be part of this incredible journey. Though it was an extremely tough decision, I knew I had to return to my first passion and return to stand-up touring full-time.”

She continued:

“I appreciate CBS, [executive producer] Stephen Colbert, the producers, and the entire After Midnight staff and crew for all the love, support, and unforgettable memories.”

As per the Independent's March 27 report, in another statement released on Wednesday, March 26, Stephen Colbert expressed regret for the choice while praising Tomlinson.

“I want to thank CBS for their constant support and invaluable partnership on After Midnight, and the whole staff for their amazing dedication.. While we were excited and grateful for our third season to start in the fall, we respect Taylor’s decision to return to stand-up full-time,” he said.

According to the same Vulture piece, After Midnight debuted in January 2024 to a mixed reception and raised many concerns about how it will modernize the concept of its Comedy Central predecessor @midnight.

Since then, the show has changed its format to make it more like a regular late-night show. It comprises a panel of three comedians playing games that are largely inspired by internet phenomena.

Both an opening speech and a portion where the panellists sit on a couch and respond to standard interview questions have been incorporated since its premiere. Although it has amassed a devoted following, it has had difficulty attracting well-known guests, breaking into the mainstream, or creating viral moments.

Meanwhile, as per Deadline’s March 26 report, over the past five years, Taylor Tomlinson has created three stand-up specials for Netflix. They are Have It All in 2024, Look At You in 2022, and Quarter-Life Crisis in 2020.

Taylor Tomlinson is currently on her Save Me tour, which will include stops in San Antonio later this month and more than 60 other locations throughout Europe in the upcoming 10 months.