Stephen Colbert unveiled a special gift for Jimmy Kimmel on The Late Show: a box of backup jokes about the war in Iran.
The war shows no signs of being resolved soon, following President Donald Trump’s decision to extend the ceasefire with Iran indefinitely.
But for Colbert, that means it could drag on until after his final show, which will air on May 21.
“Yesterday, Trump announced that he was extending a ceasefire between the United States and Iran hours before it was set to expire. This time, he did not specify an end date,” Colbert, 61, read aloud from a report.
“Huh. You know what? I’m beginning to think this war might not be over by Memorial Day,” Colbert said after echoing the president’s announcement. “Which reminds me, one second...”
He then grabbed a box and a pen, labeling the parcel, “Iran War Jokes.” Colbert signed the box “FedEx to ABC, care of Jimmy Kimmel, Hollywood.”
“Enjoy, buddy!” he said, holding up the fake box. “It’s coming to you.” Colbert then instructed staff members, “Get that in the mail.”
CBS canceled Colbert’s show in July 2025, prompting outrage from fans and many in the entertainment industry. While the network called the cancellation “purely a financial decision,” it came on the heels of Colbert calling out Paramount, the parent company of CBS, for settling a multimillion lawsuit with the president. The TV veteran described the $16 million settlement as a “big, fat bribe.”
“As someone who has always been a proud employee of this network, I’m offended, and I don’t know if anything will ever repair my trust in this company,” Colbert said.
“I believe this kind of complicated financial settlement with a sitting government official has a technical name in legal circles: it’s Big Fat Bribe,” he added.
Colbert and Kimmel have both faced the wrath of the Trump administration over the last year. Kimmel’s show was pulled off the air in September after his remarks about right-wing activist Charlie Kirk’s death. ABC, unlike CBS, restored Jimmy Kimmel Live! after six days.
Kimmel’s contract with ABC was renewed through the 2026-2027 season.
The two hosts interviewed each other about the shake-ups they faced in October, each appearing on the other’s show that same night.
