When Stephen Colbert took home the 2025 Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Series, he gave a meaningful shout-out to his late colleague.
“I got to thank these people, those people up there [and] the 200 professionals, you are the pros from Dover, and I am so proud to be one of you,” Colbert said during the September 2025 awards ceremony. “We have to thank the people who have supported us.”
He then mentioned Amy Cole, simply stating that she “should be here tonight.”
Cole worked as Colbert’s assistant for many years until her death in March 2025. She was 53.
What Did Stephen Colbert Say About Amy Cole at the Emmys?
“I want to dedicate to my mom and dad, [my wife Evie’s] mom and dad, and a young woman who should be here tonight: Amy Cole,” he said in his acceptance speech.
Colbert’s show won Outstanding Talk Series after he received a standing operation while presenting Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series to Seth Rogan. (Weeks before the Emmys, CBS canceled The Late Show after 10 years.)
“The people who do the show everyday teach me what it’s like to be a professional and I would be very grateful if we could win it for them, because they deserve all the recognition they can get,” he said. “I get all the applause and I get all the fame — and I’m fine with that — but I also want them to feel the recognition. All I want is my name 10 stories tall on Broadway, they can have everything else.”
What Was Amy Cole’s Role at ‘The Late Show’?
Cole served as Colbert’s executive assistant for many years, working alongside the TV host as he anchored both The Daily Show and The Late Show.
“Working with Colbert for 16 years was more than a job to Amy,” her obituary read. “It gave her a purpose and provided an opportunity to showcase herself as an incredible teammate to everyone involved. She was adored by her entire Late Show work family, and she will be greatly missed.”
When Did Amy Cole Die?
Cole died in March 2025 following a brief illness. She was 53.
While Cole’s cause of death has not been publicly shared, producer Jake Plunkett seemingly confirmed in a social media tribute that she battled cancer.
“Words cannot measure how big a loss Amy Cole is to this world. F*** cancer,” he wrote via X.
What Did Stephen Colbert Say About Amy Cole’s Death?
Colbert mourned Cole during an April 2025 episode of The Late Show.
“That’s it for The Late Show. Good night,” he tearfully said before a title card displayed a photo of Cole and said, “Dedicated to Our Friend Amy Cole.”
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