Stephen Colbert Gets Ready to Hang It Up

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Stephen Colbert Gets Ready to Hang It Up

His late-night show ends next month after 11 seasons. He has lots of feelings.

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Amir Hamja for The New York Times

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Stephen Colbert Gets Ready to Hang It Up

His late-night show ends next month after 11 seasons. He has lots of feelings.

Credit...

Amir Hamja for The New York Times

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By

John Koblin

Photographs by

Amir Hamja

April 28, 2026

Each episode of “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” over the past few weeks has offered a fresh reminder that the final one is rapidly approaching.

Oprah Winfrey swung by to tell Mr. Colbert that she needed to “say goodbye.” Jake Tapper came armed with a farewell gift. Billy Crystal sang him a song. The audience ovations are getting louder and louder.

“The feelings of the show ending are growing significantly now,” Mr. Colbert said.

Mr. Colbert’s observation was part of wide-ranging interview last week in his office above the Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway. Appearing both relaxed (he was barefoot) but also a bit restless (he occasionally fidgeted with an old-school football helmet), he reflected on the coming end of “The Late Show” on May 21, as well as his two-decade career as a late-night host. He also spoke about how his show had become so topical, President Trump and what he might do next.

He could be, as he put it, “long-winded” at times. Indeed. For one question, he gave an answer that lasted, with limited interruption, for 18 minutes.

Of course, it was not Mr. Colbert’s decision to end “The Late Show.” CBS announced last summer that the network would

cancel the show

after this season, its 11th, for financial reasons; it was soon widely reported that “The Late Show” was losing

tens of millions of dollars

a year. Advertising revenue for all late-night shows

has plummeted in recent years

, and the number of shows has also fallen.

Image

A line to see “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” at the Ed Sullivan Theater last week.

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