Stephen Colbert Returns to Late-Night TV on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' After Show Cancellation
Stephen Colbert Returns to Late-Night TV on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' After Show Cancellation
Michelle SteinWed, September 16, 2026 at 4:23 AM UTC
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Stephen Colbert made a “triumphant” return to late-night TV as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, four months after the cancellation of The Late Show. (And he shaved his beard on live television, too.)
On Tuesday, Sept. 15, Colbert made a highly anticipated appearance on Jimmy Kimmel‘s ABC show. The final episode of The Late Show aired on May 21; CBS announced in July 2025 that it would end after 33 years.
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During his opening monologue, Kimmel, 58, called Colbert’s guest appearance “triumphant” and joked about losing the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Series to him the night before. He then welcomed Colbert, 62, who was met with a standing ovation.
The crowd finally settled down, and Kimmel asked if Colbert missed his old hosting gig. “Late-night TV. I remember it well. Many fond memories of this,” Colbert said. To that, Kimmel asked, “Do you ever think about it?” His answer: “Nope!”
Colbert then added, “I have an opportunity to not think about the news every day, and I took it.”
Kimmel also pointed out, after seeing Colbert at the Emmys, “You just seem like a different person. You seem happier, and you seem healthier.”
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“Like I don’t drink a cup of poison every day?” Colbert quipped. “Part of the job is, the old gig, as I remember it, was to be lowered like carbon rods into a radioactive pool every day. And then to be pulled out and put in front of a camera and to radiate it out to the audience in a non-lethal rad level.”
When Kimmel asked Colbert if CBS called to congratulate him on his seven Emmys, Colbert joked, “I am not familiar with that organization.”
Colbert also revealed that he promised his wife, Evelyn “Evie” McGree-Colbert, he would shave his beard if he won Outstanding Variety Show at the Emmy Awards—which he hadn’t done yet—and Kimmel offered to have it shaved on the show. Later, Colbert did the honors himself live.
Elsewhere, Colbert gifted Kimmel a Captain America shield.
Colbert’s guest appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! came on the heels of The Late Show snagging the award for Outstanding Variety Series at the 2026 Emmy Awards, in addition to five Creative Arts Emmys: Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series, Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series, Outstanding Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Series, Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Series, and Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming. His online digital program, Colbert Before Air, also won an Emmy in the Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series category.
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This story was originally published by Parade on Sep 16, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
