One of the longest-running late-night shows in the U.S. is about to be retired after more than 30 years on air on CBS. Previously hosted by talk show icon David Letterman, The Late Show continued with Stephen Colbert following Letterman’s retirement in 2015. Now, Colbert is set to step down as host in May 2026 when his contract comes to an end, and the decision has been made that the show will be retired at that time.
“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of the broadcast season. We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire The Late Show franchise at that time. We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late-night television,” said George Cheeks, Co-CEO Paramount Global and President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS, Amy Reisenbach, President, CBS Entertainment and David Stapf, President, CBS Studios in a statement.
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The announcement comes in the midst of several complications that seem to have stemmed from Paramount’s merger with Skydance. However, CBS said this was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”
Colbert made the announcement about his and the show’s future during the taping of the latest episode, and as well as stating his gratitude for being given the chance to host the show for the past decade, he added that he was “not being replaced, this is all just going away.”
Source: Deadline