Comedian Taylor Tomlinson has revealed the health crises and professional burnout that led to her departure from the CBS late-night game show After Midnight. In her new collection of autobiographical essays, Actually, Nevermind, Tomlinson describes a period of severe illness and fragility that coincided with her tenure as the only woman to host a major network late-night show.
Health Decline and Diagnosis
Tomlinson’s health began to decline shortly after she accepted the hosting position for After Midnight. While she initially believed she had a severe cold, she was later diagnosed with mono by one doctor and treated with steroids by another. Despite her condition, she continued working and filmed Have it All, her third Netflix special, though she notes that she now sees how sick she was when watching the footage.
Upon starting her new job, Tomlinson continued to struggle with constant, aching baseline fatigue
and frequent infections, including strep throat, chest colds, and sinus infections every two weeks. She reported wearing a mask whenever possible to mitigate these illnesses. Eventually, tests revealed the presence of mold in her blood. Although her health improved during the show’s second season through the use of approximately 30 supplements taken twice daily, she described her immune system as remaining remarkably fragile.
The Toll of Late Night
Tomlinson described the physical demands of the show as unsustainable, noting that there was not enough time to recover between filming days. For the first five months of the production, she stopped touring and performing stand-up, spending three days working on the show followed by four days in bed.
She attributed her initial decision to take the role to loneliness and a desire for a community that would “anchor” her to Los Angeles. However, the combination of mold exposure and burnout from filming on weekdays and performing in different cities on weekends eventually forced her to take a break. This hiatus lasted 10 months, during which time she wrote her memoir.
Departure and Network Aftermath
Tomlinson eventually informed producers that she could not return for another season. While she provided a list of comedians who could potentially replace her, CBS opted to cancel the show instead. After Midnight aired from January 2024 to June 2025.
The decision caused significant personal distress, particularly regarding her relationship with executive producer Stephen Colbert, who had recruited her for the role. Tomlinson wrote that she felt shaking with shame
and “guilty” during a phone call with Colbert, as she had not consulted him before deciding to quit. She expressed regret that her departure jeopardized the jobs of nearly 200 staff members.
According to Tomlinson, she had attempted to suggest adjustments to make the role sustainable, specifically requesting a fill-in host for when she was ill. She was told that CBS would simply play reruns, resulting in the crew losing a day of work.
Personal Reflections in ‘Actually, Nevermind’
Beyond her professional struggles, the 32-year-old comedian uses her memoir to explore her personal history and grief. The book includes excerpts from her mother’s diary, who died when Tomlinson was 8 years old. By reviewing these writings, Tomlinson sought to humanize her mother, moving past the image of a “flawless” figure to understand her as a human who faced challenges and made imperfect decisions.
Worth a look