Stephen Colbert’s Final Show Guest Lineup, Day by Day
"He cannot be off TV for a long period of time... we will not allow it!" — Gayle King
Published May 11 2026, 11:55 a.m. ET
Stephen Colbert’s time as host of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert is coming to an end in May 2026, but you can rest assured he’s going out with a bang. For context, CBS announced in 2025 the cancellation of the show, citing the decision as a financial one. However, the news came just days after Stephen criticized the settlement between Paramount, CBS’s parent company, and Donald Trump, calling it a “bribe,” per CBS Evening News.
While the company claims there is no connection between the show ending and Stephen’s comments, people still have opinions about it. Nonetheless, the decision has been made, so if you’re wondering who Stephen’s final show guests will be, keep scrolling, because one of your favorite Hollywood stars just might be on the list.
Here are the last guests who will appear on 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.'
Stephen Colbert is a beloved, award-winning talk show host with decades of experience in television. So it would only make sense that he brings only the top celebs and names in entertainment onto his show before it ends in mid-May 2026, to make the most of his last moments as host. Here’s a rundown of the guests Stephen will welcome during the final few episodes of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
On May 11, 2026, Stephen is doing something epic: He’s bringing together his fellow Strike Force Five podcast members Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver onto the show so they can reunite and share the spotlight together one more time. During that episode, a special Broadway performance will be given by Annaleigh Ashford, Christopher Jackson, Bernadette Peters, Ben Platt, and Patrick Wilson, per a Paramount press release.
On May 12, Stephen will welcome two top TV stars, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who played the iconic role of Elaine on the hit sitcom Seinfeld, as well as Pedro Pascal. Fans of The Last of Us or Veep might want to tune in to see what these stars are up to and the final messages they have for Stephen as he nears his last days with the network.
May 13, Stephen will host former President Barack Obama, who will take on “The Colbert Questionert,” and Tom Hanks will be dropping by the studio to hang with Stephen one last time. As exciting as that sounds, beware, as this might be a bittersweet episode, as Tom has been a frequent guest on Stephen’s late-night show, reportedly appearing nearly 20 times over the course of more than a decade.
The May 14 episode of The Late Show will bring on OG late-night talk show host David Letterman, who was the original host of The Late Show, hosting for over 22 years from 1993 until 2015, when he retired and was succeeded by Stephen. So again, expect the episode to tug at a few heartstrings, especially for longtime Late Show watchers who said goodbye to David, welcomed Stephen, and are now preparing to say goodbye to him too.
Now, Paramount hasn’t yet announced the guests who will be joining Stephen through the remainder of the show, but viewers and fans can visit Paramount’s official website for updates as they are released. The official The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Instagram account (@colbertlateshow) is another good source to check regularly for guest appearance announcements.
When is the final episode of 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'?
The final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will air on May 20, 2026, at 11:35 pm ET. While his final guest hasn’t been announced, some think it could be George Clooney, as he reportedly appeared on Colbert’s very first episode as host of the show. So stay tuned to see who it is!