Late Show ending in May: Stephen Colbert says it feels real now; Four months to go
ETimes | January 28, 2026 2:41 PM CST
With just four months left before The Late Show goes off the air, longtime host Stephen Colbert said it has already started to "feel real."
According to PEOPLE, the 61-year-old host appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers on Tuesday, January 27, where he spoke about the final months of his show. As he looked ahead to the last episode in May, Colbert said the reality of it all is finally sinking in.
"It did not feel... I mean, I knew it was real, but now, there are only four months left."
"Listen, you can do comedy in a lot of different places, [but] there's no place like the Ed Sullivan Theater," Colbert continued, referring to the New York City theater where his show is filmed. "But it's really the people. That's really what I care about. That's really what I'm going to miss more than anything.
Colbert first announced the end of the show during a taping last July where he surprised the audience by sharing the news during his opening monologue.
"Before we start the show, I want you to know something that I found out just last night," Colbert said. "Next year will be our last season. The network will be ending The Late Show in May."
Later, in a statement to PEOPLE, CBS said the cancellation of The Late Show was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night" and "is not related in any way to the show's performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount," likely referencing the pending acquisition of CBS parent Paramount Global by Skydance.
The Late Show franchise began in 1993 with David Letterman as host. Colbert took over the desk in 2015 after Letterman retired and has led the show for 10 seasons.
According to PEOPLE, the 61-year-old host appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers on Tuesday, January 27, where he spoke about the final months of his show. As he looked ahead to the last episode in May, Colbert said the reality of it all is finally sinking in.
"It did not feel... I mean, I knew it was real, but now, there are only four months left."
"Listen, you can do comedy in a lot of different places, [but] there's no place like the Ed Sullivan Theater," Colbert continued, referring to the New York City theater where his show is filmed. "But it's really the people. That's really what I care about. That's really what I'm going to miss more than anything.
Colbert first announced the end of the show during a taping last July where he surprised the audience by sharing the news during his opening monologue.
"Before we start the show, I want you to know something that I found out just last night," Colbert said. "Next year will be our last season. The network will be ending The Late Show in May."
Later, in a statement to PEOPLE, CBS said the cancellation of The Late Show was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night" and "is not related in any way to the show's performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount," likely referencing the pending acquisition of CBS parent Paramount Global by Skydance.
The Late Show franchise began in 1993 with David Letterman as host. Colbert took over the desk in 2015 after Letterman retired and has led the show for 10 seasons.
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