Stephen Colbert hosted the final episode of The Late Show on CBS on May 21, 2026, at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City. The program ended after CBS announced its cancellation last summer for financial reasons. Paul McCartney appeared as the last guest.
CBS stated the decision was based on costs in a challenging late-night environment and was unrelated to the show's content or performance. The network plans to replace it with a new block led by comedian Byron Allen that avoids political humor and targets family audiences.