It’s no secret that many fans were heartbroken when David Letterman stepped away from late-night television. But if you ask the man himself, he’ll tell you he might’ve stuck around just a bit too long. Now, that might sound harsh, but there’s a compelling reason behind his perspective. Let’s dive into what he had to say and why he feels this way.
Letterman’s Honest Take on His TV Tenure
David Letterman, now 71, opened up about this topic with none other than Ellen DeGeneres during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. He admitted, “Here’s the mistake I made — I stayed on television way too long.” Ellen, ever the skeptic, didn’t let that statement slide, but Letterman stood firm. “Yes, it’s true,” he confirmed.
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Why Did Letterman Feel It Was Time to Go?
Letterman elaborated further, painting a vivid picture of his situation. “I’ll tell you what happened: It turns out, nobody had the guts to fire me. I should have left like, 10 years ago. You want to make sure you have some energy to direct toward other things.” He pointed out how Ellen, brimming with energy, manages to juggle television and other ventures seamlessly. “Now you — nothing but energy — are doing other things while you’re on television, so that’s great. I did not.”
A Legendary Career in Review
David Letterman’s journey in television began way back in 1982 with Late Night with David Letterman on NBC. His career spanned over three decades, culminating in his retirement from The Late Show with David Letterman on CBS in 2015. Before that, he even hosted a daytime talk show in 1980 titled The David Letterman Show. Over the years, his shows have been celebrated with 16 Emmy wins and an impressive 112 Emmy nominations, according to Variety.
Reflecting on his time in the spotlight, Letterman added, “All I cared about was myself, and then the show was gone. I had to realize, ‘Oh, I’ve been looking through the wrong end of the telescope.’ There is more to life than, ‘So tell me about your pet beaver.’”
Life After the Spotlight
In past interviews, David confessed to Closer Weekly that he missed only one aspect of his hosting days: the live music from Paul Shaffer. Over their decades-long partnership, the duo encountered just one minor disagreement, which barely registered as an issue. These days, they’re reunited on the critically acclaimed Netflix series My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, which has earned an Emmy nomination.
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This reflection comes shortly after a similar sentiment from one of David’s late-night rivals, Jay Leno. Jay recently admitted that hosting The Tonight Show feels like it happened a lifetime ago, and he doesn’t really miss it.
