I’m just going to rip the band-aid right off on this one: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is getting canceled in May of 2026. No, no, the host isn’t stepping down to allow someone else to take his place. According to the announcement that Colbert himself made during a taping, there is no new host. No rebrand or reboot. Just… all done. Poof.
Quick refresher on the icon that is Stephen Colbert. He’s a long-time comedian, political satirist, and a former fake conservative pundit who became the late-night king of television. He was also once told by Stephen Sondheim himself that he has a voice for Broadway, which is irrelevant to this article but needs to be mentioned anyway. He’s been the host of The Late Show since 2015, taking over when David Letterman retired. Letterman left some big shoes to fill, and hoo boy did Colbert ever fill them. He quickly became America’s favorite suited smart-ass, able to deliver political commentary with a side of snark that allowed viewers to more fully comprehend the political landscape.
The Late Show has been on the air in some form or fashion since 1993, when it began with David Letterman as the host. It’s been running for over three decades, and under Colbert’s leadership, it dominated the ratings in the post-2016 landscape. A neat trick, considering other major national events that went down that year that are going to go unnamed here. The Late Show was built around smart monologues, interviews with A-listers, musical acts, and exactly enough snark to keep things light even when serious matters were being discussed. They had a good thing going.
Until.
CBS’s parent company is Paramount Global, and they’re deep into the process of a $28 billion merger with Skydance. Basically, this deal means that a lot of rich dudes who have a vested interest in shutting up political satirists are about to get a lot richer, and executives who would like to not tick off these rich guys have made the “purely financial” decision to give The Late Show the axe.
Not buying the “purely financial” line? You’re not alone, and the timing of the cancellation doesn’t exactly suggest that you’re wrong to be suspicious. Mere days before announcing the cancellation, Colbert roasted Paramount for settling with a certain someone (pretend you heard mysterious music when you read that). The segment was classic Colbert—witty, sharp, and absolutely not merger-friendly. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Colbert’s out and The Late Show is slated for extinction? Not sketchy at all. Tra la la, nothing to see here.
So what happens now? Well, the tributes are already pouring in, with Jimmys Kimmel and Fallon both sending all of the love to their fellow talk-show host. Colbert did more than just host a show—he embedded himself into the cultural landscape in a way that no billionaire power player can undo with a mere cancellation. He’s a household name, and far too beloved and clever to simply vanish into the sunset.
The final curtain call for The Late Show may be in May of 2026, but it ain’t over yet. TV may change, but icons are called icons for a reason. They stick around, regardless of whether or not those whom they’ve irked wish it to be so. Regardless of whether Stephen Colbert chooses to write, perform, podcast, or just be the troll everyone loves from the privacy of his own garden—he’s ours, America. We claim him. And he’s not going anywhere (unless he just wants to, which like. Fair).
And CBS? Best of luck filling that late-night time slot with yet another “cost-effective” rehashing of NCIS: We Haven’t Tried This City Yet.
