Stephen Colbert Opens Up About ‘Late Show’ Cancellation: ‘I’m Not Thrilled With It’

Martin Holmes January 28, 2026, 7:33 am

What To Know

Stephen Colbert expressed sadness over the upcoming cancelation of The Late Show, saying that he will miss working with his longtime colleagues most of all.
The final episode of The Late Show is scheduled to air on CBS on May 21, with the network citing significant financial losses as the reason for ending the show.
Some critics have speculated that the cancelation was politically motivated, as CBS aims to appease President Trump.

As the date for the final episode of The Late Show was revealed on Tuesday (January 27), Stephen Colbert shared his thoughts on the cancelation and what he’ll miss most as a late-night host.

Appearing on Tuesday’s edition of Late Night With Seth Meyers, Colbert admitted that things “feel real” now that the final episode is rapidly approaching. As confirmed during the taping, the series finale of The Late Show will air on CBS on Thursday, May 21.

“It feels real now,” Colbert told Meyers. “It did not feel… I know it was real, but now, there’s four months left.”

The comedian added that while the shows are fun to do, what he really loves, and what he’ll miss the most, is the people.

“What I really love is the people I do it with,” Colbert shared. “There are people I’ve been working with… My shoemaker, Tom Purcell, I’ve known since 1988. And so, we’ve all been together forever.”

.@stephenathome talks about what he’ll miss most about working at @colbertlateshow pic.twitter.com/VRBz1rvuxB

— Late Night with Seth Meyers (@LateNightSeth) January 28, 2026

He continued, “You can do comedy in a lot of different places. There’s no place like the Ed Sullivan Theater, but it’s really the people. That’s really what I care about. That’s really what I’ll miss more than anything, and we’ll do something else together, but it feels real now. I’m not thrilled with it.”

CBS previously announced that The Late Show would end in May 2026, following the close of the 2025–26 broadcast season. The network cited financial reasons for the cancelation, claiming the show loses $40 million annually.

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At the time, some critics argued the axing was politically motivated, with parent company Paramount hoping to appease President Trump amid its merger with Skydance, which required government approval.

Colbert announced the cancelation on his show last July, telling his audience, “It’s not just the end of our show, but it’s the end of The Late Show on CBS. I’m not being replaced. This is all just going away.”

The Late Show debuted in 1993, after then-host David Letterman jumped from NBC to CBS. Letterman hosted over 4000 episodes before stepping down in 2015 and handing the reins over to Colbert.

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Weeknights, 11:35/10:35c, CBS

Late Night With Seth Meyers, 12:35a/11:35c, NBC