In a shocking turn of events, CBS has announced The Late Show With Stephen Colbert is officially coming to an end... and somehow that isn't even the worst of the news.
Let's start at the beginning. In an unexpected move, CBS has confirmed The Late Show With Stephen Colbert is officially ending after the show's upcoming season. As confirmed by CBS, Colbert's run with the late-night show will come to a close in May 2026, following what will be an 11-year run with the show as its host.
Here's where things get even worse, though. CBS is not simply parting ways with Colbert. They've cancelled The Late Show and will be bringing the show to an end entirely as part of a move by the network to phase out its late-night programming.
“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of the broadcast season. 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,” said George Cheeks, Co-CEO Paramount Global and President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS, Amy Reisenbach, President, CBS Entertainment and David Stapf, President, CBS Studios in a statement announcing the news.
Colbert announced the news during Thursday’s Late Show taping, informing the audience that he has just been informed the night prior that the show would be coming to an end. The news was met with a wave of boos from the audience, and Colbert made it clear he shares their disappointment, telling the crowd, "Yeah, I share your feelings.”
Colbert added that he is "extraordinarily, deeply grateful to the 200 people who work here," while also assuring the fans that they're going to give them an unforgettable season ahead.
You can watch Colbert's full statement in the segment below:
News of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert's cancellation comes after CBS's parent company paid out $16 million to settle a lawsuit President Donald Trump filed against the company regarding his 60 Minutes interview, creating concern among viewers over whether this could have an impact on The Late Show's future. In its statement, CBS said that the decision to cancel the show was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night," and added that the decision was "not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”
Still, the timing is sure to create speculation among viewers, and understandably so. After all, it was just this week that Colbert and The Daily Show host Jon Stewart both called Paramount for its settlement, creating concern that their futures in late-night could be in jeopardy. So the fact that the news comes on the heels of this certainly has raised flags among fans of the late-night program and its host.
Regardless of the reasoning behind the decision, with the cancellation of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, CBS will move out of the late-night cycle for the first time in over 30 years. CBS's late night slate began back in 1993 when the network managed to steal David Letterman away from NBC to launch The Late Show. When Letterman retired in May 2015, Colbert stepped in to take over the show and has hosted it ever since, leading the pack frequently in the late-night landscape.
While CBS is parting ways with Colbert, we imagine he likely won't stay on the market for long. No plans have been announced for what Colbert will do after The Late Show's end, but we imagine another network will welcome him with open arms and look to bring him into the loop via a new or existing program.
More from Last Night On: