Stephen Colbert's Late-Night Comeback Revealed After Cancelled CBS Show Pulls Off Stunning Emmy Victory

Stephen Colbert is heading back to late-night television just months after saying goodbye to his CBS audience, with his comeback arriving on the heels of a remarkable awards triumph for his cancelled show.

The former Late Show host will appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday, 15 September, marking his first late-night appearance since The Late Show with Stephen Colbert aired its final episode in May. His return comes just one night after the programme won Outstanding Variety Series at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Colbert Returns to Late-Night With Jimmy Kimmel

Kimmel announced Colbert's booking during his ABC programme last week, drawing cheers from the studio audience as he revealed his long-time friend would be returning to familiar territory.

Pointing towards his guest chairs and then his desk, Kimmel joked: 'Maybe I'll let him sit here, I don't know.'

ABC's official schedule confirms Colbert as the guest for Tuesday's Jimmy Kimmel Live!, alongside Judith Hill sitting in with The Cletones.

The appearance is particularly notable because Colbert has largely been absent from late-night television since his 11-year run behind The Late Show desk ended on 21 May.

Cancelled 'Late Show' Pulls Off Emmy Victory

Colbert's return follows a major final accolade for the programme CBS decided to cancel.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was named Outstanding Variety Series at Monday's Emmys, becoming the sole winner in the newly reworked category. Its fellow nominees included Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Daily Show, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and Saturday Night Live.

The victory capped an impressive final awards run. The Late Show had already collected five Creative Arts Emmys, including prizes for writing, directing, technical direction and camerawork, lighting design and picture editing.

The Outstanding Variety Series category operated differently this year after being designated an 'area' award. Nominees were assessed independently, with shows able to win by reaching a 90% approval threshold among voters. If none reached that mark, the programme receiving the highest percentage of 'yes' votes would win.

Stephen Colbert Urges Hollywood to Hire His Crew

Accepting the Emmy alongside his former colleagues, Colbert used the moment to draw attention to the people who had worked behind the scenes on the cancelled CBS programme.

He described late-night shows as important training grounds where younger television professionals learn to work collaboratively and meet demanding deadlines. Colbert then told the industry that his former staff were available for work, urging other productions to hire them because 'they will make your show better.'

He also thanked viewers and the many guests he interviewed over his television career, while singling out his wife, Evie McGee-Colbert, as his favourite guest.

Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert Back Each Other

The upcoming appearance also continues the public support between two of America's most prominent late-night hosts. Despite being nominated alongside Kimmel, Colbert publicly encouraged Emmy voters to support Jimmy Kimmel Live!, saying Kimmel deserved the award.

Their friendship now provides the setting for Colbert's first late-night appearance since his own programme disappeared from CBS.

Why CBS Cancelled 'The Late Show'

CBS announced in July 2025 that The Late Show would end the following May and that the franchise itself would be retired. The network described the cancellation as 'purely a financial decision' amid challenging economics in late-night television, while insisting it was unrelated to the programme's performance or content.

The decision ended a 33-year CBS franchise spanning David Letterman's 22 years and Colbert's 11-year tenure. Colbert's final season subsequently earned nine Emmy nominations, the biggest haul of his Late Show run, before delivering its final awards victories.