Stephen Colbert has canceled episodes of CBS' "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" for the week of Nov. 27 so he can heal following surgery for a ruptured appendix.
The late-night talk show host announced the cancellations Nov. 27 on social media, writing, "Sorry to say that I have to cancel our shows this week. 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," he joked.
A rerun episode featuring MSNBC's Rachel Maddow and singer Gracie Abrams was previously scheduled to air on Nov. 27, and then Colbert was expected to return from the Thanksgiving holiday on Nov. 28.
The show's schedule this week included sitdowns with A-listers including Barbara Streisand, Jennifer Garner, Baz Luhrmann, Patrick Stewart and Kelsey Grammer.
Former bandleader Jon Batiste was also scheduled to return to the show.
Colbert’s announcement marks the second time a medical emergency has forced him to cancel episodes since he returned to CBS in early October following the end of the writers strike. In mid-October, Colbert canceled several episodes of his show after testing positive for COVID-19.