The comedian set to take over Stephen Colbert's late-night show has vowed to avoid politics and 'just be funny' in a stark change from his predecessor's approach.

Media mogul Byron Allen, 65, will replace Colbert's slot on CBS with a new segment titled Comics Unleashed. 

'What I'm doing with Comics Unleashed, we don't talk about politics. We don't talk about anything that's topical,' Allen told CNN's Michael Smerconish.

'We don't do anything that's racist or sexist or antisemitic or homophobic. Just be funny and don't offend.'

Comics Unleashed marks a complete shift from Colbert, who has frequently clashed with President Donald Trump and often uses long-winded monologues to take on the issues of the day.

Instead, Smerconish quipped that Allen's show mirrors basketball legend Michael Jordan's famously apolitical stance as he referenced the sports star's famous remark: 'Republicans buy sneakers too.' 

'I don't care who you vote for. I don't care. I'm here to make people laugh,' Allen replied. 

His new program will premiere on May 22, just one night after Colbert's eleven-year run wraps up.

'You're going to vote who you're going to vote for no matter what I say, doesn't matter. It's not my business, do what you do. I'm here to make you laugh,' he added. 

Comics Unleashed has been on the air since 2006. Allen is a Los Angeles native and is the chairman and CEO of Allen Media Group which purchased The Weather Channel back in 2018.

His media company recently snagged a 'majority stake' in BuzzFeed in a deal worth up to $120 million. Once the deal closes, Allen will become chairman and CEO. 

He made his mark early as the youngest comedian ever to appear on Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show in 1979, later hosting NBC's Real People, one of TV's early reality hits, before studying film at the University of Southern California, according to CSQ Magazine.

CBS announced the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in July 2025, just days after the host blasted the network's $16 million settlement with President Trump as a 'big fat bribe.' 

'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of the broadcast season,' CBS said in a statement at the time.