On Monday, the host of “The Late Late Show” announced he was “consciously uncoupling” from CBS.

Now that he’s retiring, we’re reminded of that unusual, heartfelt monologue in 2007.

Singer Britney Spears was very much in the news for all sorts of odd behavior and Ferguson, noting his own battles with alcohol and the late night routine of mocking celebrities, vowed not to make any jokes at her expense.

“I’m starting to feel uncomfortable making fun of these people,” he said. “And for me comedy should have a certain amount of joy in it. It should be about always attacking powerful people, attacking the politicians and the [Donald] Trumps, and the blowhards. … Go after them.”

See for yourself:

More on Ferguson’s retirement, from The Associated Press via ABC News:

The move was no surprise after CBS announced that Stephen Colbert will replace Letterman next year. There was a time that Ferguson, whose show won a Peabody Award in 2009, was considered a strong contender for that job.

But “The Late Late Show” has faded in the ratings, particularly with the arrival of Seth Meyers in February as competition in the same time slot.

“CBS and I are not getting divorced, we are consciously uncoupling,” Ferguson said. “But we will still spend holidays together and share custody of the fake horse and robot skeleton, both of whom we love very much.”

— Posted by Peter Z. Scheer

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