Who Will Succeed Stephen Colbert as Host of ‘The Late Show’ After Its Final Episode?

The curtain is set to fall on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

In a surprising move, CBS announced in July 2025 that Stephen Colbert’s late-night program would wrap up in May 2026. The network attributed the decision to financial challenges in the late-night arena. However, the cancellation followed closely on the heels of Colbert’s on-air criticism of Paramount’s $16 million settlement with former President Donald Trump.

Colbert received a wave of support from fellow late-night hosts, such as Jimmy Kimmel, who have stood by him amid the impending end of his show. Kimmel, along with Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver, is slated to make an appearance on The Late Show on Monday, May 11.

David Letterman, who headlined The Late Show from 1993 to 2015, is set to revisit the stage on Thursday, May 14. Upcoming guests for The Late Show include Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Pedro Pascal on Tuesday, May 12, with Tom Hanks scheduled for Wednesday, May 13. Additionally, the Wednesday episode will feature former President Barack Obama, who recently took part in “The Colbert Questionnaire” on Tuesday, May 5.

The big question remains: Who will fill The Late Show‘s slot in CBS’ late-night schedule? Here’s what we’ve uncovered so far.

When is Stephen Colbert’s final Late Show episode?

Stephen Colbert’s last episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is Tuesday, May 21.

Who is replacing Stephen Colbert after the final episode of The Late Show?

The show taking over The Late Show‘s slot (11:35 p.m. – 12:37 a.m. ET/PT) on CBS is the comedy talk show Comics Unleashed, hosted and produced by Byron Allen. While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Colbert shared his reaction to the news of Allen being his replacement.

“God bless him. I know Byron. We got to know each other last year, actually. He’s fascinating. You know his history with Carson?,” he told the outlet, referring to Allen being the youngest comedian to perform on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson at 18 years old. “Anyway, when I found out, I wrote him the next morning and I said, ‘Hey, congrats. I heard you got the time. Good for you. Wouldn’t it be lovely if you could drop Mr. Carson a note?’”