The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will come to an end in 2026, marking the closure of a 33-year-old institution in American late-night television.
CBS announced it would not only be saying farewell to Colbert’s version of the show, but to the entire Late Show franchise altogether. The decision has sent shockwaves through both sides of the Atlantic, especially among UK audiences who’ve followed Colbert’s razor-sharp satire and nightly monologues with enthusiasm since 2015.
The comedian broke the news during a taping on Thursday night. And no, he didn’t see it coming. “Yeah, I share your feelings,” Colbert told the crowd after they booed in disbelief.
“It’s not just the end of the show, it is the end of the Late Show on CBS. I’m not being replaced, this is all just going away.”
The announcement left many viewers confused. Colbert’s version of The Late Show has been a consistent ratings winner. At times, it even dominated the late-night scene.
But CBS insists this isn’t about performance. “Purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night,” a statement from top CBS executives read.
It added, “It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”
George Cheeks (Paramount Global’s co-CEO), Amy Reisenbach (President of CBS Entertainment), and David Stapf (President of CBS Studios) jointly confirmed that the programme will wrap at the end of the 2025–26 broadcast season.
“We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire The Late Show franchise at that time,” the statement read.
“He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late-night television.” The timing, however, has raised eyebrows.
Parent company Paramount Global is knee-deep in a merger attempt with Skydance. The same Skydance deal that failed last year. Political sensitivities are swirling, especially given Colbert’s long-standing criticism of former US President Donald Trump.
Just this week, Colbert tore into a settlement reached between Trump and CBS News.
“Paramount knows they could have fought it,” he said on-air. “And keep in mind, Paramount produced Transformers: Rise of the Beast – they know completely without merit.”
Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, who appeared on the show Thursday, voiced public concern.
“If Paramount and CBS ended The Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.”
Colbert said he was thankful for the experience and for his loyal team of nearly 200.
“Let me tell you, it is a fantastic job,” he said. “I wish someone else was getting it. And it is a job I am looking forward to doing with this usual gang of idiots for another 10 months.”
Colbert took over in 2015 following the retirement of David Letterman, who had hosted since 1993. With Colbert, the show adopted a sharper political edge, particularly during the Trump presidency.
His departure doesn’t just mark the end of an era—it marks the end of the era for CBS’s late-night presence.
UK audiences, who’ve followed Colbert through platforms like Sky Comedy and YouTube clips, are also feeling the blow.
The franchise’s end isn’t just a loss for American viewers. It’s a loss for global late-night culture. One fewer stage for sharp, satirical takes. One less voice willing to poke at power night after night.
And now, a countdown begins. Ten months left. Then lights out.
