Soon-to-be former late-night host Stephen Colbert is gearing up for his final show in just over four months, and frankly, he’s not feeling too thrilled about it.
Colbert, age 61, announced Wednesday that “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” will wrap up on May 21, marking the end of his 11-year tenure on CBS.
“It feels real,” he shared during a recent appearance on “Late Night with Seth Meyers.” “I have four months left, and while the show is enjoyable, what I truly cherish are the people I work with.”
“It feels real right now. I’m not excited,” he added, hinting at plans for a new project with his team after the show concludes.
CBS revealed back in July that “The Late Show,” which made its debut in 1993 with David Letterman, would conclude at the end of the 2025-2026 broadcast season.
Colbert took over from Letterman in 2015 and expressed frustration about Letterman’s highly publicized exit.
“Comedy can happen in many places. The Ed Sullivan Theater is unique, but it’s really the people that matter. That’s what I’ll miss the most,” he reflected.
CBS indicated that the decision to cancel the long-standing show was due to financial reasons, stating “The Late Show” had been operating at a loss under Colbert’s leadership.
“Colbert is losing $40 million to $50 million annually, so [co-CEO] George Cheeks just decided to step down,” a source informed.
In fourth-quarter TV ratings, however, “The Late Show” led all late-night programs with an average of 2.69 million viewers over 37 episodes.
Even with a 5% drop in ratings in the third quarter—which briefly rebounded after his cancellation announcement—the show maintained its lead over competitors like “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
After the cancellation news, “The Late Show” received its first Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Series during Colbert’s time as host.
Yet, projections indicate that the show will likely see its lowest viewing numbers ever in the critical 25-to-54 age group, averaging only 285,000 viewers per episode in January.
After CBS settled a $16 million lawsuit with the president regarding an edited “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, Colbert and other liberal comedians pointed fingers at President Trump and the FCC.
Colbert described himself as a champion of free speech and promised to ramp up his criticisms of Trump in the final episodes.
“They made one mistake. They left me alive. The gloves will be off for the next 10 months,” he told a crowd in July.
On January 22, Colbert accused the FCC, led by Mr. Carr, of trying to suppress him, Seth Meyers, and Jimmy Kimmel by reintroducing rules regulating political appearances.
The FCC plans to enforce previously dormant guidelines regarding political candidates on talk shows, which Colbert alluded to as returning from an era filled with bewildering variety show chaos.
Colbert remarked that the FCC’s actions seemed like “a blatant attempt to silence me, Jimmy, and Seth,” addressing the commission directly on-air.
“I’m flattered that you think being on my show has the power to influence politics. If our government had ended the way I chose, you wouldn’t have had the authority to make this announcement,” he asserted.
From 2022 to 2025, “The Late Show” featured more than 176 guests leaning left politically, with only one Republican guest during that time, according to a survey by a media watchdog.
“Colbert’s show has become late-night group therapy for liberals,” commented Curtis Hawk, editor-in-chief of NewsBusters. “It seems Americans are losing interest in partisan mockery masquerading as comedy.”
