American TV Host Jimmy Kimmel is planning a special gesture for longtime late-night host Stephen Colbert as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert prepares to air its final episode later this month after 11 seasons hosting the show.
According to a report by Variety, Jimmy Kimmel Live! will not air a fresh episode on May 21, 2026, the same night as Colbert's farewell episode on CBS. Instead, ABC will broadcast a rerun while Kimmel steps aside to allow attention to remain on Colbert's farewell.
Kimmel Repeats Gesture From David Letterman's Farewell
As reported by Variety, this is not the first time Kimmel has made such a move. Back in May 2015, he also chose to air a repeat episode on the night David Letterman hosted his final episode of The Late Show before retiring from television.
News outlet LateNighter reportedly described Kimmel's decision as being done “out of deference to Colbert's sendoff.”
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Final Week Packed With Special Guests
The final days of Colbert's show are expected to feature several major names from the entertainment world. On May 11, Colbert's guests will include Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and John Oliver.
The appearance will reunite the group behind the Strike Force Five podcast, which was launched during the 2023 Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA strikes. The podcast raised money to support staff members affected by the industry shutdown.
Variety also confirmed that David Letterman will appear on the show on May 14. Other celebrities scheduled for Colbert's final week include John Krasinski, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Pedro Pascal and Tom Hanks.
Special segments planned for the farewell week include a Broadway performance, a “Colbert Questionert” featuring Barack Obama and a musical performance by The Strokes.
Controversy Around Cancellation
CBS announced the cancellation of The Late Show in July 2025, calling it a “purely financial decision.” However, the cancellation quickly became controversial because it came while Paramount Global was seeking approval for its Skydance Media deal from the FCC during Donald Trump's presidency.
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Colbert has frequently criticised Trump on his show, while Trump publicly celebrated the cancellation announcement multiple times.
David Letterman also strongly criticised CBS over the decision. In an interview with The New York Times, he accused the network of dishonesty, saying, “They're lying weasels.”
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