The Late Show is about to be the late Late Show. (Not to be confused with The Late Late Show; I’ll explain.)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is set to end — for good — on May 21, 2026, Colbert revealed during a Monday taping of Late Night with Seth Meyers. Meyers’ program airs on NBC in the hour following Colbert’s and, on his own network, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
After 33 years on CBS airwaves in the 11:30 p.m. time slot, the show started by David Letterman is hanging up its hat. (It hung up its Worldwide Pants — Letterman’s production company — when Letterman left the seat in 2015.)
Colbert first announced the news on his own program back in July 2025. His studio audience didn’t take it well — neither did Colbert.
“Yeah, I share your feelings,” he said at the time. “This is all just going away. I do want to say that the folks at CBS have been great partners. I’m so grateful to the Tiffany Network for giving me this chair and this beautiful theater to call home. And of course, I’m grateful to you, the audience who have joined us.… And I am extraordinarily, deeply grateful to the 200 people who work here.”
For its part, CBS called the cancellation “purely a financial decision.”
“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of the broadcast season,” George Cheeks, at the time a Paramount co-CEO, said in a statement alongside other senior leadership. “We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire The Late Show franchise at that time. We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television.
“This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount,” the statement continued. “Our admiration, affection and respect for the talents of Stephen Colbert and his incredible team made this agonizing decision even more difficult. Stephen has taken CBS late night by storm with cutting-edge comedy, a must-watch monologue and interviews with leaders in entertainment, politics, news and newsmakers across all areas. The show has been No. 1 in late night for nine straight seasons; Stephen’s comedy resonates daily across digital and social media; and the broadcast is a staple of the nation’s zeitgeist.
Last summer, Paramount was still awaiting regulatory approval for its merger with David Ellison. The leader of said government, President Donald Trump, is no fan of Stephen Colbert.
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