John Oliver has exercised an option to extend his HBO contract, keeping him as host of Last Week Tonight through 2027. The decision provides continuity for one of HBO’s most successful current affairs comedy programmes while Warner Bros. Discovery faces uncertainty over its paused $110 billion merger with Paramount.

Oliver said he responds to possible changes in ownership with “total denial” and has learned to stay focused when potential buyers consider HBO’s future. Since its 2014 launch, Last Week Tonight has earned 76 Emmy nominations and 32 wins, with three further nominations this year, and its weekly reports attract more than two million YouTube viewers; Oliver also said Buc-ee’s declined to answer the programme’s questions and discussed maintaining contact with late-night peers after Stephen Colbert’s cancellation.