When Is the Last Episode of 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert'?
The final day for Stephen Colbert’s talk show has been revealed.
parade.comShort answer: Stephen Colbert’s last episode of The Late Show aired on May 21, 2026, according to multiple outlets reporting CBS’s finale date.
Details
- Final broadcast date: May 21, 2026, at 11:35 PM ET on CBS. This was announced by CBS and widely covered as the series finale of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert [sources: Hollywood Life reporting the finale date; Entertainment Weekly confirming the final episode date; CBS’s own statements about ending the franchise in May 2026] [sources cited inline: Hollywood Life, Entertainment Weekly, CBS News].
- Context: CBS announced in 2025 that The Late Show would end during the 2025–2026 broadcast season, with the May 2026 finale marking the end of the franchise on CBS [CBS News].
- Notable finales: The finale featured appearances by guests and tributes from peers in late-night television, marking Colbert’s departure after a decade as host [Hollywood Life coverage; Entertainment Weekly coverage].
If you’d like, I can pull more contemporaneous reactions, viewership figures, or a short recap of the finale’s key moments.