Stephen Colbert facing career crisis?

Stephen Colbert is said to be facing an uncertain future as his long-running program, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, prepares for its final episode on May 21.

Insiders revealed that the end of popular late-night show has created a tense moment behind-the-scenes.

The source told Radar Online, "The grim realities of winding down a major production like The Late Show are playing out in a pretty dark way."

"It's all created a dark, toxic vibe at the show and on the set, because these network-backed writing and producing jobs are hard to come by in New York City – people stay in them for decades if they can," they added.

An insider went on to add, "You can practically smell the misery and pain that hang in the air."

On the other hand, rumours of a potential deal with Netflix reportedly turned out to be false. Insiders say Stephen Colbert has not yet revealed any clear plans for his career after the show ends.

The tipster stated, "He has not yet outlined a plan for what he's going to do after the show ends and who on the staff will come with him."

Adding, "There's been chatter for a while that he can start a podcast and even transform himself into the left-wing answer to Tucker Carlson, but that's not what Stephen wants."

There has also been speculation that Stephen Colbert could move into podcasting or create a new political commentary platform, however sources suggest Colbert prefers to remain on network television. "They were just as shocked by the cancellation last year as Stephen was."

"Now Stephen needs to face the reality that he's going to have to completely reinvent himself if he wants to avoid the fate that his fellow late-night outcast James Corden suffered, which is a total loss of relevance among American audiences when his show went off the air," the insider added.