A Bittersweet Farewell for Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert’s tenure on The Late Show is coming to an end, marking the close of a significant chapter in late-night television. As the show prepares for its final episode, it has been met with a unique and heartfelt sendoff from his fellow late-night hosts, Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel.
Fallon, 51, and Kimmel, 58, have decided to honor Colbert by closing their own sets and going dark in late-night solidarity. Instead of airing new episodes, their shows will feature reruns, allowing the spotlight to shine solely on Colbert during his farewell. This gesture underscores the deep respect and camaraderie among these television icons.
Fallon concluded his Wednesday show with a nod to Colbert, 62, saying, “Thank you for watching. Stay tuned for Late Night with Seth Meyers. And Stephen, have a great show tomorrow. We’ll be watching. Good night, everybody.” His message was both a tribute and a promise to support his friend during this special time.
Despite the bittersweet nature of the occasion, Fallon’s recent guest, Sienna Miller, caused a stir by sharing candid footage of her breastfeeding her newborn. However, Fallon plans to watch Colbert during his 11:35 p.m. time slot. The Tonight Show will air a new episode on Friday with guests Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and musical guest Maluma.
Kimmel also went dark in 2015 when Colbert’s predecessor, David Letterman, signed off as host of The Late Show. This history of solidarity highlights the strong bond between these late-night titans.
A Final Celebration of Friendship and Fun
In the days leading up to the final episode, Colbert gathered some of his closest friends and colleagues to celebrate the end of an era. He assembled Fallon, Kimmel, Seth Meyers, John Oliver, and the now-retired David Letterman to help him throw some CBS furniture off the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater. Among the items tossed were Colbert’s office chair, according to Entertainment Weekly.
While the antics were certainly entertaining, Colbert has also reflected on the philosophical implications of ending The Late Show. He shared, “I mean, you can’t do this forever. You have to think about, well, when is the right time to end your tenure? I didn’t think this soon, but I mean, who knows?” He added, “Maybe CBS saved my life because it takes a lot of bone marrow to do the show every day, and now I’ll be stepping down with enough time, enough energy to do other things that I want to do.”
A New Chapter Focused on Family
Colbert is looking forward to shifting his focus from his career to his family. He shared how he will spend his first day after The Late Show ends, saying, “I’m going to my brother’s wedding in Washington D.C.” He explained that his eight brothers and sisters, along with their husbands and wives, will attend the last show, and then they will all head to D.C. the next day for the wedding.
“I love it,” he continued. “The next day focus is not on me, focus is on my brother. So much better. We’ll get drunk and we’ll sing. We all think we have good voices. That’s the great danger of our family, especially the men. It’ll be great.”
A Grateful Farewell
Colbert announced the axing of The Late Show in July 2025. The comedian, who took over as host in 2015, thanked CBS and TV viewers for their support of the show. He said, “I’m not being replaced. This is all just going away. I do want to say that the folks at CBS have been great partners… And I’m grateful to the audience, you, who have joined us every night, in here, out there, and all around the world.”
