Stephen Colbert recently said goodbye to The Late Show. Since it was announced that his show was coming to an end, fans have been wondering what is next for him. Recently, fans have suspected that his former network might have already revealed what his next venture could be.
Viewers Saw The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Come To An End On May 21
Colbert first joined The Late Show in 2015, having taken over from David Letterman. He was previously known for hosting The Colbert Report for Comedy Central.
However, CBS has announced that Colbert’s show would be coming to an end, with the network retiring The Late Show‘s format. Viewers saw Colbert’s final episode air on May 21, 2026.
Less than 23 hours after The Late Show came to an end, Colbert moved his audience to an independent YouTube channel, “@Colbert.” He also appeared as a surprise host in Only in Monroe, a tiny, public access cable station operating out of its namesake Michigan city.
This was a callback to a public-access parody episode he shot there back in 2015 before taking over from David Letterman. Despite looking like a simple production, it was more high-profile than it first appeared. Reportedly financed by CBS, it featured guest appearances from Eminem, Steve Buscemi, Jeff Daniels, and Jack White.
Colbert started the show with a shot towards his former network. As he shared, “It’s been an excruciating 23 hours without being on TV. So, I am grateful to be able to be here on Monroe Community Media before they also get acquired by Paramount.”
A CBS Spokesperson Weighed In On The Issue, With Fans Especially Taking Note Of Their Choice Of Words
Over the weekend, however, CBS has taken action against bootlegged videos of the Eminem interview popping up online. The network’s automated copyright infringement system has been issuing strikes. This led to rumors that the network was trying to keep Colbert off the internet. This has led to rumors that CBS is trying to suppress Colbert’s next move: a transition to YouTube.
Notably, as noted by Deadline, a CBS spokesperson weighed in on the issue, highlighting that the network financed the piece and was only trying to protect its assets. They shared, “Over the weekend, however, CBS has taken action against bootlegged videos of the Eminem interview popping up online. The network’s automated copyright infringement system has been issuing strikes. This led to rumors that the network was trying to keep Colbert off the internet.”
As the spokesperson continued, “As is our regular practice, we send copyright notices to unauthorized websites that post copyrighted content from CBS and our network/studio talent such as Stephen Colbert. However, for this episode, have decided to waive further enforcement of this standard industry practice until additional review.”
While unconfirmed, some fans think the wording of “for this episode” suggests there is more to come from Colbert. In addition, as the outlet noted, the Only in Monroe video is the only video on Colbert’s personal YouTube channel, which was launched in April. Thanks to this, it is unlikely that there won’t be other videos in the future.
As previously reported, Colbert’s next confirmed project is a new Lord of the Rings movie script. Still, fans will have to stay tuned in to see what happens next.
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John Witiw has been a writer since at least 2015. He’s covered a variety of topics, especially when it comes to film and television.
