The Late Show will cease to exist next year. On Thursday, CBS announced that it will end its late-night talk show, hosted by Stephen Colbert over the last decade, in May 2026, amid financial issues at the network.
“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,” CBS wrote in its statement Thursday. “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.”
Colbert addressed the decision in a video posted to Instagram, saying he had just “found out last night,” ahead of tonight’s episode featuring Senator Adam Schiff.
“I’m not being replaced. This is all just going away. I do want to say that the folks of CBS have been great partners,” he said amid boos from the live audience, later adding: “I wish somebody else was getting it.”
Colbert thanked the vast audience of the show and acknowledged the “200 people that work here. We get to do this show for each other every day.”
In its statement, CBS lauded the show for being the top-rated late-night show for nine seasons, calling it a “staple of the nation’s zeitgeist.” It also promised that it would honor Colbert in the months leading up to its last show.
Schiff, who is scheduled to appear on Thursday’s episode, addressed the cancellation on X, speculating: “If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.” (CBS’ statement claimed the cancelation is over finances.)
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Colbert started hosting The Late Show, taking the baton from David Letterman, in 2015, after hosting the news satire show The Colbert Report on Comedy Central. As of July, Colbert has hosted the show for 10 seasons on CBS, filming at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City.
The first iteration of The Late Show started airing in August 1993 with Letterman as host. The show airs live to tape at 11:35 p.m. ET and PT.
“Our admiration, affection, and respect for the talents of Stephen Colbert and his incredible team made this agonizing decision even more difficult,” the CBS statement read. “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.”
From Rolling Stone US
