The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will air its final episode on May 12 after CBS announced the show’s cancelation in July 2025 amid the merger between Paramount and Skydance
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was canceled last July(Image: CBS via Getty Images)
Stephen Colbert is gearing up for his final curtain call as host of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert after being canceled by CBS last July.
The final episode of the long-running late-night program is set to air on Thursday, May 21, with a star-studded lineup of guests set to join Colbert as he hosts his last show after over a decade behind the desk. Colbert’s final stretch kicked off on May 5 with former President Barack Obama.
While Colbert’s final host has not been announced yet, the 61-year-old comedian will interview fellow late night hosts Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver on May 11.
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In July 2025, CBS announced that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert would end in May 2026, citing financial difficulties within the network. Many speculated that the move was due to the merger between Paramount and Skydance, which required approval from Trump-appointed FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.
Colbert, who has served as host of the long-running late-night program since 2015, has been a vocal critic of the 79-year-old president, often throwing jabs at Trump and other MAGA figures during his show.
Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver, will be guests on May 11(Image: CBS via Getty Images)
On May 11, Colbert will be joined by fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver, who, along with Colbert, hosted the podcast Strike Force Five together to support their staff during the WGA writers’ strike in 2023.
David Letterman, who hosted the show until Colbert took over in 2015, will be the special guest on May 14. The 79-year-old has spoken out against the network’s decision to cancel The Late Show.
In an interview with the New York Times, Letterman fumed, “He was dumped because the people selling the network to Skydance said, ‘Oh no, there’s not going to be any trouble with that guy. We’re going to take care of the show. We’re just going to throw that into the deal. When will the ink on the check dry?'”
Colbert took over for Letterman in 2015(Image: CBS via Getty Images)
He continued, “I’m just going to go on record as saying: They’re lying. Let me just add one other thing — They’re lying weasels.”
Other guests who will be appearing on the final run of The Late Show include Tom Hanks, John Krasinski, Pedro Pascal, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
The end of Colbert’s run will feature a Broadway performance featuring Annaleigh Ashford, Christopher Jackson, Bernadette Peters, Ben Platt, and Patrick Wilson, as well as a performance by the Strokes and a special ‘Kids Pitch’ segment with Jenny Slate and Liam Neeson, among others.
The final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is set to air on CBS Thursday, May 21, at 11:35 PM EST.
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