{"id":2428496,"date":"2026-05-22T19:35:28","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T19:35:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2428496"},"modified":"2026-05-22T19:35:28","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T19:35:28","slug":"stephen-colbert-says-goodbye-to-the-late-show-with-a-gaggle-of-celebrities-and-a-wormhole","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/stephen-colbert-says-goodbye-to-the-late-show-with-a-gaggle-of-celebrities-and-a-wormhole\/","title":{"rendered":"Stephen Colbert Says Goodbye to ‘The Late Show’ With a Gaggle of Celebrities (and a Wormhole)"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n
\n

What To Know<\/h3>\n
\n
    \n
  • The final episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert aired on Thursday, May 21.<\/li>\n
  • Here\u2019s how the long-time late-night host said goodbye to fans.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n

    After 11 years as emcee, Stephen Colbert<\/a> hosted the very last episode of The Late Show<\/a> With Stephen Colbert<\/a> on Thursday (May 21) night, following CBS\u2019s abrupt cancellation of the program that was handed down to him by former host David Letterman<\/a>. The show\u2019s axing has been a point of controversy since it was first announced last year, as many saw the move as politically driven, given Donald Trump<\/a>\u2018s distaste for the show and CBS\u2019s parent company\u2019s (Paramount) desire for Trump\u2019s administration to approve of a merger (with Skydance, which ultimately happened).<\/p>\n

    For his part, Colbert has declined to directly accuse the network of axing the iconic talk show for political reasons, but plenty around him have done all the talking (including Letterman and Colbert\u2019s own penultimate show guest, Bruce Springsteen<\/a>). So how did the Emmy-winning host of The Late Show say goodbye to viewers once and for all?<\/p>\n

    Well, he started first by sharing a message to CBS affiliates across the country which some of them shared ahead of the airing. In it, he said, \u201cHello,<\/span> CBS<\/span> affiliates.<\/span> Stephen<\/span> Colbert<\/span> here.<\/span> And<\/span> I<\/span> just<\/span> wanted<\/span> to<\/span> express<\/span> my<\/span> gratitude<\/span> for<\/span> your<\/span> supporting<\/span> The<\/span> Late<\/span> Show<\/span> these<\/span> last<\/span> 11 years.<\/span> Having<\/span> your<\/span> broadcast<\/span> as<\/span> a<\/span> lead-in<\/span> has<\/span> been<\/span> a<\/span> huge<\/span> help,<\/span> whether<\/span> you<\/span> were<\/span> covering<\/span> a<\/span> moose<\/span> that<\/span> broke<\/span> into<\/span> a<\/span> local<\/span> coffee<\/span> shop<\/span> or<\/span> a<\/span> deer<\/span> that<\/span> broke<\/span> into<\/span> a<\/span> local<\/span> coffee<\/span> shop.<\/span> So <\/span>thank<\/span> you.<\/span> Also,<\/span> you\u2019re<\/span> going<\/span> to<\/span> want<\/span> to<\/span> tune<\/span> in<\/span> at<\/span> 11:35 for<\/span> tonight\u2019s<\/span> final<\/span> episode <\/span>because<\/span> I\u2019m<\/span> going<\/span> to<\/span> break<\/span> into<\/span> a<\/span> local<\/span> coffee<\/span> shop.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    Then, when the earlier-taped episode began, Colbert delivered an opening monologue for the ages. Instead of walking out with audience fanfare, he addressed audiences directly.<\/p>\n

    \u201cWe have done over 1,800 of these shows. And most nights, I come out here, and I talk to the audience beforehand, and tonight, I thought I\u2019d talk to the audience in here and the audience out there at home. This show\u2026 has been a joy for us to do for you. In fact, we call this show \u2018The Joy Machine.\u2019 All right, Louis [Cato] stole it from us, and we are currently in litigation right now. You better lawyer up, buddy,\u201d he joked to his band leader.<\/p>\n

    \u201cWe call it the joy machine because to do this many shows it has to be a machine, but the thing is, if you choose to do with joy, it doesn\u2019t hurt as much when your fingers get caught in the gears, and I cannot adequately explain to you what the people who work here have done for each other, and how we mean to each other. So, I will just say, I will just say to them, you are all the great Achilles whom we knew. Now, on night one of The Colbert Report<\/a>, back in the day, I said, \u2018Anyone can read the news to you. I promised to feel the news at you,\u2019 and I realized pretty soon in this job that our job over here was different. We were here to feel the news with you, and I don\u2019t know about you, but I sure have felt it.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Colbert then continued, \u201cI just want to let all y\u2019all know, in here and out there, how important you\u2019ve been to what we have done. The energy that you\u2019ve given us, we sincerely need that to have done the best possible for you for the last seven years\u2026. We love doing the show for you, but what we really love is doing the show with you\u2026\u00a0 Now, I\u2019ll say to you what I\u2019ve said to every audience for the last 11 years, and I have meant it every time. Have a good show. Thanks for being here, and let\u2019s do it, y\u2019all.\u201d<\/p>\n