Stephen Colbert Finally Shares When the ‘Late Show’ Will End

Stephen Colbert has officially shared when his time behind the Late Show desk will come to an end. The final episode of The Late Show will air on Thursday, May 21, bringing a long-running CBS era to a close after more than three decades on television.

Colbert revealed the date while appearing as a guest on Late Night With Seth Meyers. The episode aired on January 27, and it was the first time fans were given a clear and final timeline. The ending has been expected since last summer, but hearing the exact date made it feel very real.

The Late Show first launched in 1993, when David Letterman moved to CBS after leaving NBC. His version of the show ran for 22 years and became one of the most influential programs in late-night history. Colbert took over in 2015 and brought a sharper political edge and heavy satire to the format. He hosted the show for more than ten years and remained a consistent ratings and awards presence for the network.

CBS has said the decision to end the show has nothing to do with Colbert personally. According to the network, the move is about money and the changing state of late-night television. Fewer people are watching full episodes live, and more viewers are turning to streaming and short clips online.

Still, some viewers have questioned the timing. The announcement came not long after Colbert publicly criticized Paramount Global, CBS’s parent company, over its legal settlement involving Donald Trump. When the news first broke, Colbert addressed his audience directly and said It’s not just the end of our show, but it’s the end of The Late Show on CBS. He added I’m not being replaced. This is all just going away.

Even with strong ratings and recent awards, including an Emmy win, the network decided to end the franchise completely instead of finding a new host. Colbert has admitted that the final stretch now feels different, knowing the countdown has officially begun.

Outside of The Late Show, Colbert has stayed busy. In January, he made a guest appearance on the CBS series Elsbeth, playing a talk show host who gets killed in a self-aware twist. He also lent his voice to Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, which premiered on January 15, 2026. In that series, he plays the Digital Dean of Students, a role he joked about being perfect for his voice.

Colbert has not announced what comes next. Some fans think he could move to a streaming platform, while others believe he may focus on podcasts, acting, or producing. For now, he appears focused on closing out his final months at the Ed Sullivan Theater on his own terms.

The Late Show may be ending, but Colbert’s future still feels wide open. Whether CBS will regret retiring the franchise entirely is something fans are already debating.

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