Colbert Sets 'Late Show' End Date for May 21, 2026

Stephen Colbert announced that the final episode of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" will air on May 21, 2026, marking the end of a 33-year franchise on CBS. The host shared the specific date during a taping of NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers" on Monday, with the segment set to broadcast on January 28, 2026.

The announcement provides closure to a decision CBS made public in July 2025, when the network revealed plans to conclude the show after the 2025-2026 season. Colbert, who has hosted since 2015, addressed the cancellation on his program last summer, emphasizing its permanence. "Next year will be our last season," he told his studio audience. "It's the end of The Late Show on CBS. I'm not being replaced. This is all just going away."

CBS parent company Paramount Global attributed the move to financial pressures in late-night television, where declining viewership and shifting audience habits have strained profitability. In a statement, the company said, "We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire The Late Show franchise in May of 2026. We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced...