'Late Show With Stephen Colbert' sets final episode date
Six months after CBS announced that 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' would be ending, its award-winning host has revealed the final episode date.
ew.comStephen Colbert’s final episode of The Late Show aired on May 21, 2026. CBS announced the end of the show in 2025, citing financial reasons for retiring the franchise, and Colbert’s finale drew extensive coverage and celebrity tributes across outlets.
Key points from recent reporting:
- The finale date was confirmed by Colbert in January 2026 during a taping of a different show, with outlets noting May 21 as the broadcast date of the series finale.[3][5]
- CBS framed the decision to end The Late Show as a strategic financial move, emphasizing Colbert’s irreplaceable status while indicating the franchise would retire rather than transition to a new host.[9][3]
- Coverage highlighted the final-week buildup, guest retrospectives, and widespread industry reflection on Colbert’s impact on late-night television.[2][4]
If you’d like, I can pull a compact timeline of key episodes and guest appearances from the final season, or summarize notable moments from Colbert’s final week. I can also provide a short list of sources for further reading.