The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will finish in Might 2026 on the shut of the 2025-26 broadcast season. Colbert introduced the information throughout tonight’s taping on the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York.
“Earlier than we begin the present, I need to let one thing that I discovered simply final evening,” Stephen Colbert started. “Subsequent 12 months shall be our final season. The community shall be ending The Late Present in Might.”
To ringing boos from the viewers, Colbert mentioned, “Yeah, I share your emotions. It’s not simply the top of our present, nevertheless it’s the top of The Late Present on CBS. I’m not being changed. That is all simply going away.”
Colbert went on to say: “I do need to say the parents at CBS have been nice companions. I’m so grateful to ‘The Tiffany Community’ for giving me this chair and this stunning theater to name house. And naturally I’m grateful to you, the viewers, who’ve joined us each evening in right here, on the market, all world wide – Mr. and Mrs. America and all of the ships at sea.
“I’m grateful to share the stage with this band, these artists over right here and I’m terribly deeply grateful to the 200 individuals who work right here…Let me inform you, it’s a unbelievable job. I want any person else was getting it. It’s a job that I’m wanting ahead to doing with this regular gang of idiots for one more 10 months. It’s going to be enjoyable. OK, that’s all I wished to say.”
Colbert’s remarks from tonight’s present had been posted on Instagram. Watch here.
In a joint assertion, three prime CBS executives, mentioned The Late Present franchise shall be “retired” on the finish of Colbert’s run.
“The Late Present With Stephen Colbert will finish its historic run in Might 2026 on the finish of the published season,” George Cheeks, co-CEO Paramount International and president and CEO, CBS; Amy Reisenbach, president, CBS Leisure; and David Stapf, president, CBS Studios mentioned in a joint assertion.
“We contemplate Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and can retire The Late Present franchise at the moment. We’re proud that Stephen known as CBS house. He and the published shall be remembered within the pantheon of greats that graced late evening television.
“That is purely a monetary determination towards a difficult backdrop in late evening. It isn’t associated in any technique to the present’s efficiency, content material or different issues taking place at Paramount.
“Our admiration, affection and respect for the skills of Stephen Colbert and his unimaginable crew made this agonizing determination much more tough. Stephen has taken CBS late evening by storm with cutting-edge comedy, a must-watch monologue and interviews with leaders in leisure, politics, information and newsmakers throughout all areas. The present has been No. 1 in late evening for 9 straight seasons; Stephen’s comedy resonates day by day throughout digital and social media; and the published is a staple of the nation’s zeitgeist.
“The accomplishments of The Late Present With Stephen Colbert are memorable and important in efficiency, high quality and stature. With a lot gratitude, we sit up for honoring Stephen and celebrating the present over the subsequent 10 months alongside its tens of millions of followers and viewers.”
The Late Present With Stephen Colbert debuted on Sept. 8, 2015, about 4 months after David Letterman ended his 23-year run as host of The Late Present With David Letterman. That present debuted on Aug. 30, 1993 and ran by way of Might 20, 2015.
Colbert had beforehand hosted The Colbert Report on Comedy Central, which ran from Oct. 17, 2005 till Dec. 18, 2014.
Simply final week, Colbert’s present obtained a Primetime Emmy nomination for excellent discuss collection. It was one in all solely three collection nominated this 12 months, together with The Day by day Present (Comedy Central) and Jimmy Kimmel Reside! (ABC). Colbert’s present has been nominated eight occasions in that class, nevertheless it has by no means gained. What do you need to wager that it wins this 12 months?