The Late Show with Stephan Colbert has Ended with Star-studded Finale with Zero Mention of Trump

Late-night host Stephen Colbert aired his final episode of 'The Late Show' with Stephen Colbert on Thursday night, ending an 11-year run as host.

CBS canceled the show last year, citing economic reasons, though speculation persisted over possible political pressure tied to Colbert's criticism of President Donald Trump and his administration.

Colbert's Last Show

One of the titans of this century of late night TV has unwillingly called it quit, however it was a very sucessful 11 years.

'Colbert made The Late Show the most-watched late night show in America for the past nine consecutive years, winning an Emmy in the process and pulling in an average audience of 2.7 million viewers. Given the myriad changes to viewing habits in the past decade, that is impressively close to the 2.8 million who were tuning in to Letterman's final season in 2014,' according to The Independent.

Stephan Colbert does not appear to be continuing in late night television as he is set to be a co-writer in a new Lord of the Rings film called The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past.

Pressure from the Trump Administration

Hours after last night's final episode aired, Trump took to social media to gloat: 'Colbert is finally finished at CBS. Amazing that he lasted so long! No talent, no ratings, no life. He was like a dead person. You could take any person off of the street and they would be better than this total jerk. Thank goodness he's finally gone!'

CBS said last year that the reason to axe Colbert was 'purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night [television]' and 'is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters.'

The reason for Colbert not mentioning Trump in the episode might relate to how his faith has had an effect on his life.

'If there's some relationship between my faith and my comedy, it's that no matter what happens you are never defeated, you must understand and see this in the light of eternity and find some way to love and laugh with each other,' Colbert said in an interview with Dua Lipa back in 2022.

Colbert Fans React to Last Episode and Cancelation

Fans spoke to Variety about what they thought of the show ending and Trump's possible interference with the Colbert show.

'I was not very happy with CBS. At all,' said Andrea Lobo, a math teacher from Ohio who attended the final taping with her daughter. 'They did him dirty. I mean, free speech. He should be able to say what he says and not have backlash from the president.'

'A real pain point for people of conscience' but also 'a triumphant moment' in American history.

'It's a triumph because life goes on — and good ultimately prevails over evil,' Hirschhaut explained. 'I believe in his humanity, his goodness, his ability to bring out the best in everyone around him. He's given us that shot of adrenaline and hope that our country desperately needs today.'

Esteban Rehava, an audience member who traveled from Phoenix, Arizona, described Colbert's firing as 'very unprecedented' — but says he 'doesn't worry' about his media future.

'I'm sure he'll be fine,' Rehava said. 'Now that he doesn't have to worry about all this pressure, he can freely do whatever he feels like. I don't think he did anything wrong other than speak the truth. I do hope to see at least some better protection against the FCC, as they're obviously being targeted right now from a certain somebody that doesn't want to be joked about.'