Stephen Colbert on Seth Meyers: The Final Season, Future Plans, and a Stolen Senate Rug

Stephen Colbert on Late Night with Seth Meyers, a twenty-two minute interview that is equal parts comedy masterclass and genuinely moving farewell between two colleagues who clearly adore each other. With Colbert's Late Show ending in May 2026, this one feels like a warm, funny goodbye with some real heart.

Section 1. The Art of Hosting and the 10-Year Callback

The interview opens with a delightful bit of behind-the-scenes host etiquette. Colbert and Meyers banter about who has to sit down second when a host welcomes a guest, with Colbert insisting "the host sits down second" and admitting he was trying to wait Meyers out. Then Colbert reveals one of his neuroses: "I always allow the guest's head to be downstage. I think about everything I do, every moment. I'm crippled." Meyers asks if none of it comes naturally, and Colbert confirms with a grin: "I'm second-guessing every action, yes. And then we go back and we re-edit the entire show. I do every moment of the show three different ways."

Meyers then reveals that Colbert was on the show exactly ten years ago, right before he started The Late Show. They roll the old clip, and Colbert narrates over it in real time, pointing out the exact moment he realized he should have prepared. His first "wow" at the new set was too casual, so he immediately course-corrected with a much bigger second "wow." As Colbert explains, "That second wow is where I went... that first wow was not nearly wow enough." It is a small moment but perfectly captures Colbert's obsessive professionalism wrapped in self-deprecating humor.

Section 2. The Emmy Rankings and Strike Force Five

The conversation turns to Colbert winning the Emmy, and Meyers, whose show was not even nominated, turns it into a brilliant comedy bit. Together they construct a ranking of Emmy outcomes that both instantly agree on: winning is the best, not being nominated is second best because you do not have to go, and going and losing is dead last. As Colbert puts it, "If you go and you lose, you say, this is ridiculous, this is crazy, why do we do this, this is all bullshit. And then if you go and you win, you say, you know, it's good that we get together at least once a year just to celebrate the art form."

They reminisce about Strike Force Five, the podcast they did during the 2023 writers' strike with Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver, and Jimmy Kimmel. They raised a ton of money for their staffs across twelve episodes, and it brought the late-night hosts much closer together. Meyers jokes that Colbert "really turned a corner" during the podcast. "I went, yeah, I get it. I get it now," Meyers says, as if he had previously been skeptical of Colbert. Colbert laughs and admits Meyers "was already there on the other guys," implying that Colbert was the last one Meyers warmed up to.

Section 3. The World Central Kitchen Auction and Stolen Senate Goods

Colbert reveals he is raising money for Jose Andres' World Central Kitchen through an eBay auction of Late Show memorabilia, and they have already raised over 200,000 dollars. Meyers agrees to let Colbert pitch on the show since "it's for a good cause. I wouldn't let you sell stuff if all the money was going to you."

Then comes one of the best bits of the interview. Colbert has brought a physical prop: a US Senate area rug that he stole from former Arizona Senator Jeff Flake's office years ago. He unrolls it right there on the Late Night stage. Meyers examines it and asks, "Why did they give you such a small rug? There's not even room for the unum on the E Pluribus here." Colbert cheerfully admits this is stolen property and invites viewers to "aid and abet me" by bidding on it for World Central Kitchen.

This leads to a tangent about Colbert's Segway skills, or lack thereof. He once almost decapitated an audience member when he fell off a Segway and it shot into the crowd. He got a note from the network's lawyer saying he could never ride it onstage again. He also describes his office as "a compost heap" of ten years of accumulated show detritus and gifts that are "too nice to throw away but not nice enough to do anything with."

Section 4. The Jackal Corrections

In a charming crossover segment, Meyers reveals that he asked his "Jackals," the dedicated commenters on his Corrections segment, to submit things Colbert has gotten wrong on The Late Show. Colbert already owns a Jackal mug that he bought with his own money, which delights Meyers.

The corrections include: Colbert once said the Great Wall of China is visible from space, which is untrue. His "Monkey-mergency" segment features a chimpanzee in the graphic, but chimps are apes, not monkeys. Colbert's defense: "Does it eat bananas? That's my question to you." Then there is the grammar debate over "a historic" versus "an historic." Colbert insists it is "an historic evening, same way you would say I enjoy listening to an harmonica." Meyers counters: "But does anybody ever enjoy listening to an harmonica?" And finally, someone informs Colbert that Bluey is a girl, not a boy. "I did not know that. And I don't judge. I'm not laying that on Bluey," Colbert responds.

Meyers also gives Colbert a Lord of the Rings-themed wedding invitation that was sent to Meyers' PO box but addressed "Dear Stephen Colbert." The couple just assumed Meyers would pass it along. When Meyers asks if Colbert can read the Elvish text on the invitation, Colbert instantly translates it: "Elen sila lumenn omentielvo, which means a star shines on the hour of our meeting, but that's basic shit right there. That's what Frodo says to Gildor Inglorion of the House of Finrod when they first meet at Woodhall." Meyers deadpans: "I knew it sounded familiar."

Section 5. The Show Ending and What Comes Next

The conversation takes an emotional turn when Meyers brings up the cancellation of The Late Show. Colbert does a theatrical spit-take, pretending he did not know, and Meyers notes he is "out of spit-take practice." Then Colbert gets sincere. "It feels real now," he says. "The shows are fun to do, but what I really love is the people I do it with." He mentions his showrunner Tom Purcell, whom he has known since 1988. "You can do comedy a lot of different places. There's no place like the Ed Sullivan Theater. No offense. But it's really the people. That's really what I'm going to miss more than anything."

Colbert also references "what happened this weekend," which was "incredibly corrosive to the soul and how we feel about our own country," and says the gift of having the show was getting to talk with people like Governor Josh Shapiro about it. "That's an incredible gift, and I'll always be grateful for that."

Then comes the big exclusive: Colbert announces his final show date. "This is a Peacock exclusive," he says, making Meyers laugh. Meyers responds, "We almost never get exclusives on Peacock." Colbert suggests he should announce it a second place so people hear. The date: May 21, 2026.

Section 6. The Rumor Mill and Broadway

Meyers runs through a list of rumors about Colbert's post-show plans, and Colbert has fun with all of them. A 13.5 million dollar Netflix deal? "Not enough money." Running for office, maybe even president? Colbert plays it beautifully: "Obviously, that's something I have discussed with my faith leader and my family, and if there is some way for me to serve the American people in some way that could possibly be greater than a late-night television show, I would consider that." Meyers reminds him the presidency pays less than 13.5 million. "Not anymore," Colbert fires back. Colbert Coin? "We'd love that." Starting a show with Rachel Maddow, Tom Hanks, Jasmine Crockett, and Simon Cowell? "All five of them. Yeah. We're on the run. Falsely accused." Writing a book about J.R.R. Tolkien? "Always. I'm always doing that."

Colbert's love of Tolkien surfaces throughout the interview, and Meyers beautifully undercuts it each time. When Colbert says Tolkien pulled him out of being "a very, very lonely, sad young boy," Meyers responds: "Oh, you're doing fine now. He pulled you out. Now let him go! Leave him for the sad boys of today!"

Meyers then makes his personal pitch: Colbert should do "Oh, Mary!" on Broadway, the Cole Escola show. Not as Lincoln, Meyers specifies, but as Mary. Colbert loves the idea. When Colbert asks if Meyers would do Broadway, Meyers says no. The audience boos. Meyers stands firm: "You can't give me that."

Colbert also floats the idea of joining Saturday Night Live, repeatedly asking if Lorne Michaels is in the building and requesting Meyers tell Lorne he is available in June. His audition material? A Bill Clinton impression from 1998, and an Al D'Amato impression so dated that even in 1998 it was unnecessary. Meyers admits he also did a D'Amato when he auditioned for SNL.

Section 7. A Genuine Farewell Between Friends

The interview closes with a moment of real warmth. Meyers tells Colbert that when he was in Chicago, he saw Colbert perform at Second City and it blew his mind. Colbert was the kind of person who made Meyers want to do what he does. "You've been really inspirational to me for a very long time, and I'm really grateful to know you and to both be your colleague and your friend. You're a very special person."

Colbert returns the sentiment, revealing that he and Meyers regularly send each other notes about things they liked on each other's shows. "I admire what you and your staff do here, especially on the darker days, what you're able to make comedy out of. And I admire you enormously, and I hope you will do this for 20 more years." Meyers asks Colbert to promise they will see each other often. Colbert's final line: "I'll see you on Broadway."

Key Takeaways

Stephen Colbert's final Late Show episode will air May 21, 2026, announced as a "Peacock exclusive" in typically playful fashion. Colbert is raising over 200,000 dollars for World Central Kitchen through an eBay auction of show memorabilia, including a US Senate rug he stole from Jeff Flake's office. He played coy with every rumor about his future, from a Netflix deal to running for president to joining SNL, while being genuinely moved about leaving the people he has worked with for decades. The interview is a masterclass in the chemistry between two hosts who share a profession and genuine affection, mixing razor-sharp comedy with moments of real emotional honesty about the end of an era in late-night television.