Stephen Colbert will return to late-night television three months after CBS took The Late Show off the air.
Jimmy Kimmel announced Thursday that Colbert will appear as his guest when his ABC show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, comes to Brooklyn for a week of shows next week. The episode will air on Tuesday, Sept. 15, the day after the pair of hosts compete against each other at the Emmy Awards.
“We will be back in a very big way on Tuesday night after the Emmys with the one and only Stephen Colbert, who will be making his return to late-night television,” Kimmel said at the end of Thursday’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! episode.
He pointed at the guests’ seats on stage, and added, “Right here.” Then Kimmel gestured at his own host’s desk.
“Or maybe right here. Maybe I’ll let him sit here, I don’t know,” Kimmel continued, gesturing to his desk. “Either way, please join us for that.”
CBS announced The Late Show’s cancellation on July 18, 2025, claiming the decision was for “purely financial” reasons despite its timing coinciding with Paramount’s merger with the MAGA-friendly entertainment conglomerate Skydance. Colbert led the show for 11 seasons.
On September 17, 2025, just months after CBS announced it wouldn’t renew The Late Show’s contract beyond an eleventh season, ABC pulled Kimmel off the air “indefinitely” after the host made a joke about MAGA’s reaction to Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Kimmel’s suspension lasted five days, and the show returned on September 23 following major backlash.
Colbert and Kimmel have publicly supported one another amid their respective late-night turmoil, appearing on one another’s shows and speaking out against CBS’ Trumpy censorship. Colbert even endorsed Kimmel for this year’s Emmy Awards. Both shows are nominated for Outstanding Variety Series, along with Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, The Daily Show, and Saturday Night Live.
“I think we can all agree that Jimmy Kimmel deserves an Emmy,” Colbert said in an Instagram video. “I don’t care if you’ve never even seen his show. You know he deserves an Emmy. Besides, look how cute he is.” Colbert flashed a photo of Kimmel on his tablet.
“Anyway, please consider thinking that Jimmy deserves an Emmy,” he concluded. “I do. I love you.”
