Stephen Colbert Officially Confirms Late Night Return After CBS Exit

Published Sep 14, 2026, 10:00 AM EDT

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Stephen Colbert is back on late night — sort of.

Over a year since CBS announced that it was ending the famed The Late Show franchise and cancelling Colbert's iteration of the series, the project's void in the network's programming is still felt. Granted that the broadcaster has officially replaced it with Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen, but it's a departure from the traditional late-night fare, opening up an opportunity for someone to take over the slot and revive the tradition. As for Colbert, the former The Daily Show correspondent is moving on with a string of new projects in the horizon.

As CBS's fall 2026 lineup nears its premiere, it doesn't seem like the Eye Network has any interest in changing its approach when it comes to Colbert's absence. It's worth noting that The Late Show's cancellation was met with intense backlash — both from viewers and people in the industry. CBS defended it by saying that it was purely a business decision, as the project was losing the company money. Others argued that it was retaliation against Colbert's political stance.

Nearly four months since The Late Show with Stephen Colbert bowed out, Colbert has officially confirmed his return to late night, joining Jimmy Kimmel Live! (via EW). The avid Lord of the Rings fan is revealed to be one of the guests for the show's September 15th offering, with Jimmy Kimmel himself announcing that his fellow comedian and friend will be appearing for his post-Emmy show this Tuesday. Funnily, he didn't share how exactly Colbert would fit into the show. He said:

“We will be back in a very big way on Tuesday night, after the Emmys with the one and only Stephen Colbert, who will be making his return to late-night television. Right here, or maybe right here. Maybe I’ll let him sit here, I don’t know. Either way, please join us for that.”

On the heels of CBS's cancellation, Colbert received immense support from a lot of people. That said, Kimmel was one of the most vocal in his backing. Interestingly, throughout this time, the ABC host also found himself in hot water, as the Disney-owned network was pressured to cancel his show for his comments about the death of Charlie Kirk. Kimmel and Colbert were on competing timeslots when the latter was still hosting CBS's program, but that never stopped them before from supporting each other.

At one point in the last year, they appeared on each other's shows despite the ratings rivalry. It proved their solidarity amid their respective professional issues. Now that Colbert no longer hosts The Late Night, he has more time to appear in Jimmy Kimmel Live!. In fact, there are even calls for him to take over the show during Kimmel's annual summer leave, wherein ABC usually brings in a rotation of stars to take over his desk every week. Whether that's in the cards for Colbert is uncertain at this point, especially since Colbert is also busy with his Lord of the Rings project. If it comes to pass, any concrete news won't be released until next summer.

Considering the pair's penchant for antics, it will be interesting to see what they have in store for viewers. To make things funnier, both The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel Live! are currently nominated for Outstanding Talk Series at the Emmys, so it will be curious to see how they will react to its results. One thing is for sure, however, it's a must-watch for anyone who loves late night TV.