Stephen Colbert is returning to late-night television. Well, kind of.
Jimmy Kimmel announced on Thursday that Colbert will appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Tuesday, Sept. 15, marking his first return to late night since The Late Show With Stephen Colbert ended in May on CBS.
“We will be back in a very big way on Tuesday night, after the Emmys with the one and only Stephen Colbert, who will making his return to late-night television,” Kimmel told his audience, which burst into applause and cheers, at the end of Thursday’s episode.
“Right here,” he added, pointing to the guests’ seats set up by his desk. “Or maybe right here. Maybe I’ll let him sit here, I don’t know,” Kimmel continued, gesturing to his desk. “Either way, please join us for that.”
CBS announced in July 2025 that the Late Show franchise would end in May 2026. “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of the broadcast season,” the network said at the time.
“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.”
Adding, “This is 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.”
In response, Colbert told his audience that he would finish his chapter in the Late Night franchise strong.
“Let me tell you, it is a fantastic job. I wish somebody else was getting it. And it’s a job that I’m looking forward to doing with this usual gang of idiots for another 10 months. It’s going to be fun.”
Kimmel, meanwhile, slammed the network for its decision. “Love you Stephen,” Kimmel wrote on his Instagram Stories at the time, adding a note for the network. “F— you and all your Sheldons CBS.”
In the final weeks of The Late Show the Strike Force Five podcast team (made up of Colbert, Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver) reunited on Colbert’s show.
“When I got knocked off the air for a few days, people canceled Disney+. Why aren’t you people canceling Paramount+?” Kimmel asked Colbert’s audience in May, referring to his temporary suspension in September 2025. “‘Cause you didn’t have it in the first place?”
At another point during the episode, when Colbert asked his fellow late-night hosts to make a case for keeping the format around, Kimmel pushed back. “Why should you have to defend late night?” Kimmel said. “And why is that question even asked? Ryan Seacrest doesn’t get asked that question about Wheel of Fortune or whatever the hell he’s hosting.”
The comedian’s support for Colbert hasn’t wavered. Months after Late Show went off the air, Kimmel told Variety that he’d love to have Colbert guest host his show.
“Of course, I asked [Colbert to host], and I think it feels premature,” he said, noting that Colbert declined. “But I told him, ‘anytime you want to host, it doesn’t matter if it’s the summer, I’ll gladly step aside.”
Colbert’s appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live will come the day after the Emmy Awards, where both of their shows are nominated for Outstanding Talk Series. Last year, Kimmel took out a billboard declaring, “I’m voting for Stephen” (Colbert did, in fact, win). Last month, on the penultimate day of Emmy voting, Colbert returned the favor, urging voters to check off Kimmel in an Instagram video.
“I don’t care if you’ve never even seen his show. You know he deserves an Emmy,” he said. “Besides, look how cute he is! Anyway, please consider thinking that Jimmy deserves an Emmy. I do. I love you.”
Jimmy Kimmel Live airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
