CBS has announced that “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” will end its run in May 2026, and that the “Late Show” franchise itself will be retired at that time. Colbert was born in DC and spent some of his early years in Bethesda, right here in Montgomery County (video clip below shows him bringing up his time in the area).
The network cited a “purely financial decision” for the cancellation, despite the show’s strong performance in the ratings. After the conclusion of his show, “The Colbert Report” in 2014, Colbert was announced as the successor to David Letterman as the host of “The Late Show” on CBS. “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” premiered on September 8, 2015, and is taped at the historic Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City.
Colbert’s career began in improvisational theater, notably with Second City in Chicago, where he honed his comedic skills. He gained significant recognition as a correspondent on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” from 1997 to 2005. In 2005, Colbert launched his own spin-off, “The Colbert Report” on Comedy Central. In this highly successful satirical news program, he portrayed a self-important, conservative pundit, a character that became incredibly popular and earned him numerous accolades, including multiple Emmy and Peabody Awards.
While Stephen Colbert primarily grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, he was born in Washington DC and spent some of his early childhood years here in Montgomery County, Maryland. There are reports that he grew up in the county for a few years after he was born, and that one of his siblings still resides there. He discussed his ties to Montgomery County with fellow comedian Dave Chappelle.
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