NEW YORK –John Oliveris worried about the future of his show "Last Week Tonight," which airs on HBO. But the pending merger between HBO's parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Paramount Skydance is only one of the reasons for his concern.
And Oliver joked that it may not even be his top reason.
"I'm worried about my show all the time, regardless of mergers," the comedian, 48, told USA TODAY at the2026 Garden of Laughs All-Star Comedy Benefit, where he performed. "(Mergers are) going to have to get in line in terms of the constant anxiety that I have. I'll get to you when I have time, corporate overlords. I've got a lot of self-loathing to go through first."
Earlier on Monday, April 13, over 1,000 filmmakers, actors, and industry professionalssigned an open letteropposingWarner Bros. Discovery's proposed $110 billion merger with Paramount Skydance, warning of the negative impacts it would have on the U.S. media sector.
"I think consolidation is a huge problem," Oliver said. "I haven't seen the letter, though."
The TV host struck a similar tone after Netflix's $72 billion bid to merge with Warner Bros. Discovery. In December, Netflix announced the pending merger, but Paramount Skydance reentered the picture with a hostile takeover attempt and eventually a more lucrative offer.
"I think that mergers are generally bad," Oliver said in January on Trevor Noah's "What Now?" podcast. "I will act assuming nothing is going to happen. We’re not going to change, right?"
If the deal receives regulatory approval by the Trump administration and international governments, it will mark the third time HBO has changed hands since Oliver began "Last Week Tonight," which is currently in its 13th season. In 2018, AT&T acquired HBO as part of its $85.4 billion TimeWarner purchase.
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In 2022, then-WarnerMedia was spun off into Warner Bros. Discovery.
John Oliver jokes about his facial hair at charity comedy event
Oliver took part in the stand-up comedy event held by theGarden of Dreams Foundation, the charitable arm of Madison Square Garden Company. The event took place at one of the company's sister venues, Radio City Music Hall.
Oliver joined a lineup that included Ronny Chieng, Zarna Garg, Josh Johnson, Hasan Minhaj,Andrew Schulz, and Iliza Shlesinger.
"I just love what they do in terms of supporting these kids and giving them a great experience," Oliver said of the nonprofit. The Garden of Dreams works with Madison Square Garden's partners and other charities to bring once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to young people in need.
The cause hits home for Oliver, whose father was a social worker in Liverpool, England. "There is something to showing kids something absolutely amazing that can give them a deep sense of joy that you can feed off for a long time."
A-listers are welcoming in spring 2026 by stepping out at star-studded events, including the premieres of "The Drama" and "You, Me & Tuscany." Still to come this month will be the premiere of the Michael Jackson biopic "Michael" and the annual CinemaCon convention.Scroll through for the best celebrity photos of April so far, starting with Robert Pattinson, left, and Zendaya at the premiere of "The Drama" on April 2, 2026, in New York City. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Joe Jonas toasts to Coachella Weekend One ahead of a surprise appearance at the Aperol Day Club during day one of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 10, 2026, in Indio, California.
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It's a "Scrubs" reunion! Creator Bill Lawrence (from left), Donald Faison, Zach Braff, John C. McGinley, Sarah Chalke, Christa Miller, Aseem Batra, Judy Reyes, moderator Vanessa Bayer and Neil Flynn arrive for ABC's "Scrubs" panel during the 2026 PaleyFest LA at Dolby Theatre on April 11, 2026, in Hollywood, California.
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Sarah Chalke
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Donald Faison
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Zach Braff
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Donald Faison, Zach Braff and Sarah Chalke
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Olivia Wilde attends the Fashion Trust Awards at Nya Studios on April 8, 2026, in Los Angeles.
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Chrissy Teigen
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Selma Blair
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Uzo Aduba
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Melissa McCarthy
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Jurnee Smollett
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Lili Reinhart
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Emily V. Gordon, left, and Kumail Nanjiani
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Alison Brie
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Mindy Kaling
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Frankie Muniz attends the premiere of "Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair" in New York on April 7, 2026.
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Jane Kaczmarek
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Bryan Cranston
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From left, Jane Kaczmarek, Frankie Muniz and Bryan Cranston
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Christopher Masterson
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Justin Berfield
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Zendaya attends the premiere of "Euphoria" Season 3 on April 7, 2026, in Hollywood, California.
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Jacob Elordi
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Sydney Sweeney
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Alexa Demie
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Hunter Schafer
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Chloe Cherry
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Yvette Nicole Brown attends the PaleyFest presentation of "Pluribus" in Hollywood, California, on April 4, 2026.
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Rhea Seehorn
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Robert Pattinson attends the premiere of "The Drama" on April 2, 2026, in New York City.
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Zendaya
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Alana Haim
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Mamoudou Athie
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Paul Dano
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Matt Rogers
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Heidi Klum
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Halle Bailey, left, and Chloe Bailey attend a screening of "You, Me & Tuscany" on April 2, 2026, in Los Angeles.
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Halle Bailey, left, and Chloe Bailey
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Halle Bailey speaks at a screening of "You, Me & Tuscany" at Spelman College on April 1, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Sharon Stone visits SiriusXM Studios on April 1, 2026, in New York City.
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See Zendaya, Justin Bieber in best celeb photos of April
A-listers are welcoming in spring 2026 by stepping out at star-studded events, including the premieres of "The Drama" and "You, Me & Tuscany." Still to come this month will be the premiere of the Michael Jackson biopic "Michael" and the annual CinemaCon convention.Scroll through for the best celebrity photos of April so far, starting with Robert Pattinson, left, and Zendaya at the premiere of "The Drama" on April 2, 2026, in New York City.
The "Last Week Tonight" host is gearing up to return to his show after a two-week break. Sporting a scruffy look, the comedian jokes that his face also took a two-week break.
"And you didn't ask, but just for the record, my kids hate it," Oliver continued. "'Your face is scratchy. Get away from me.' That's a direct quote."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:John Oliver is always worried about the future of 'Last Week Tonight'
