( CNN ) -- There was no pretense with David Letterman , and the response to his retirement has been just as honest . From President Obama to Dave 's late-night peers , the veteran host of CBS ' `` The Late Show '' has left his fans devastated with his announcement that he plans to hang it up in 2015 . `` There are more than 10 reasons # DavidLetterman will be missed , '' the President posted to his Twitter account Thursday , with a photo of himself laughing it up with Letterman . `` David @ Letterman is the best there is and ever was , '' ABC 's Jimmy Kimmel chimed in Thursday . `` There 's a tear under the CBS eye ! '' said Arsenio Hall . `` David Letterman - Simply The Best ! ! ! '' `` It 's been 31 incredible years , '' said Ellen DeGeneres . `` Television wo n't be the same without you , Dave . '' On Thursday 's `` Late Show , '' Letterman said that while everything 's been great , he 's simply ready to retire . `` We do n't have the timing of this precisely down , '' he said , `` but sometime in the near distant future , 2015 , for the love of God , Paul and I will be wrapping things up and taking a hike . '' David Letterman announces retirement . On his own late night show , NBC 's Seth Meyers took a moment to recognize Letterman 's influence . `` I grew up on David Letterman , '' Meyers , who just recently took over `` Late Night , '' told his audience . `` I was a little too young for ( Johnny ) Carson , I discovered Carson in later years online and watching videos that way . But Letterman for me was a show that you had a cool uncle , or one of your friends had a cool older brother that told you to watch . ... If it was n't for David Letterman , this show would n't exist . If it was n't for David Letterman , I would n't be here . '' It 's David Letterman 's comedy world . Since Letterman 's announcement , the conversation has inevitably turned to who could replace him -- although Esquire magazine believes that may be impossible . But CBS , presumably , will have to find someone to take on Jimmy Fallon and NBC 's `` Tonight Show '' at 11:30 . One obvious option would be to bump CBS ' `` Late Late Show '' host Craig Ferguson up an hour , and mimic what NBC 's done with the handoff of `` The Tonight Show . '' There 's also interesting competition for Letterman 's seat on cable , where Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart have proven that they can draw a young audience and hold it . And now that Chelsea Handler is reportedly ending her E ! late night talk show , `` Chelsea Lately '' -- hers is another name floating amid the speculation , along with those of other funny ladies like Ellen DeGeneres and Amy Poehler . But the predictions have n't been limited to talk show hosts , as the Twitterverse has erupted with suggestions that comics like Louis C.K . or Jerry Seinfeld take over . The name of a different kind of entertainer showed up in The New York Times ' take : Neil Patrick Harris . And there might be room for the Ghost of Jack Paar -- a combustible conversationalist who brings the `` talk '' back to `` talk show '' -- or some YouTube talent out there , yet unknown , who gets a `` Rocky '' -like chance at stardom . Lena Dunham , for one , is rooting for CBS to be the network that breaks up late night 's boys club . `` I love Letterman but I am really excited about what this could mean for the diversification of late night , '' she tweeted , although she added that she 'll `` obvi ... miss Letterman and his gorgeous tooth scenario/general brilliance . '' Comedic actor Billy Eichner can see it now , as he promotes another actress , an Emmy nominee for `` Nurse Jackie '' : `` Late Show with Merritt Wever . '' CNN 's Todd Leopold contributed to this report .
With David Letterman 's good news have come celebrity well wishes . From the President to Jimmy Kimmel , several stars have commended the ` ` Late Show '' Mr . Seth Meyers : ` ` If it was n't for David Letterman , I would n't be here '' The conversation has also turned to who could possibly replace him .