Stephen Colbert Will Focus On Family And Lord of the Rings Project After The Late Show’s Final Episode

Stephen Colbert is stepping away from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert after 11 successful seasons. Following the show’s final episode, the comedian says he plans to spend time with family.

22 May 2026, 15:26 · NDTV

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Stephen Colbert is gearing up for a new chapter after the conclusion of his CBS show following 11 successful seasons.
The day after his final broadcast, Colbert said he planned to immediately shift his attention to family celebrations.
He confirmed he will also continue working on the Lord of the Rings project alongside his son Pete

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Late night host Stephen Colbert is gearing up for a new chapter after the conclusion of his CBS show following 11 successful seasons. The final episode of The Late Show with Stephen aired on May 21, marking the close of an era in late-night television.

Colbert took over The Late Show in 2015 after the retirement of David Letterman. During his tenure, he became known for combining sharp political satire with humor and emotional interviews.

Speaking ahead of the finale, Colbert admitted he has not fully decided what comes next. The longtime host explained that producing a nightly program consumed most of his focus, leaving little room to think seriously about future opportunities until the show concluded.

“There's so much to think about doing the show. I don't have much better of an answer than most college seniors do, which is I've got to finish this first, because it takes almost the entirety of my brain to do this show,” he told PEOPLE. “We'll land this plane and we'll check out the view from there. But I'm available. Yes.”

Family Comes First

The day after his final broadcast, Colbert said he planned to immediately shift his attention to family celebrations.

“I'm going to my brother's wedding in Washington D.C.,” he said, adding, “My [eight] brothers and sisters and [their] husbands and wives are coming to the last show, and then we're all getting on the train the next day and going down to D.C. to go to Tommy's wedding.”

Colbert also recently celebrated another personal milestone. His son John graduated from college. Expressing his happiness, he said, “I'm glad a lot of the week is not about me,” he said, adding that it was instead focused on “people I love more than I love me.”

What More He Is Looking Forward To?

Although Colbert has not announced a new television role, he confirmed he will continue working on the Lord of the Rings project alongside his son Peter which has been in development since the COVID-19 pandemic

“This has been years I've been thinking about it. I've been working on it with my son since COVID actually, and then working on it with Peter Jackson and Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh for almost two years now,” Colbert said, noting that the project was never intended as a post-show backup plan.

For now, the late-night host says his focus remains on ending The Late Show on the right note and taking time to see what opportunities come next. “We'll land this plane and we'll check out the view from there,” he concluded.

Why is The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ending?

In July 2025, CBS announced that it would cancel the program. The decision came shortly after Colbert publicly criticised Paramount Global over its reported $16 million settlement involving then-President Donald Trump.

Trump had sued CBS' 60 Minutes over claims that an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris had been deceptively edited. The lawsuit coincided with Paramount's merger plans with entertainment company Skydance Media, which required federal approval.

CBS executives maintained that the cancellation was “purely a financial decision” and it “wasn't related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”

Reflecting on the timing, Colbert acknowledged the demands of hosting a nightly series.

“You can't do this forever. You have to think about, well, when is the right time to end your tenure? I didn't think this soon, but I mean, who knows?,” he said.

“Maybe CBS saved my life because it takes a lot of bone marrow to do the show every day and now I'll be stepping down with enough time, enough energy to do other things that I want to do,” Colbert added.

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