Stephen Colbert's Last 'Late Show' Episode Is Tonight: Everything To Know About the Finale

One of late-night TV's longest tenured veterans will be leaving the airwaves tonight. Stephen Colbert started on The Late Show in 2015, and his time as CBS's iconic talk show host will come to an end after almost a year of buildup to the finale.

The show will air in its usual time slot at 11:35 p.m. ET. The show didn't announce who would appear as the final guests in the series' history, but NBC News reports that Paul McCartney will perform after being seen exiting the lot where the show is taped.

Colbert will not be replaced. CBS is cancelling The Late Show altogether, a franchise that has been legendary, going back to David Letterman's time as the star for over two decades. The cancellation is a major concern for the validity of late-night talk shows as a medium in the late 2020s.

Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel, Colbert's two rival hosts on NBC and ABC, are great friends of his, and they are respecting his final show by not airing a new episode of either of theirs tonight.

Colbert is one of the best comedic minds in Hollywood. He's been in show business for decades, most famously when he hosted The Colbert Report from 2005 to 2014. Many fans are probably wondering where they can see him next after the show ends.

The answer to that question is quite unclear. Colbert hasn't made any announcements about any other variety shows, comedy tours, or TV roles in the aftermath of his CBS exit. He is making a sharp turn into the world of script writing for high fantasy movies. Colbert is writing a Lord of the Rings movie that takes place in the early timeline of The Fellowship of the Ring. The movie will also have series veteran Peter Jackson heavily involved.

For now, fans can appreciate Colbert's last show on CBS and streaming through Paramount+.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 10:15 PM.