Stephen Colbert is set to make an appearance on late-night television as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, host Jimmy Kimmel announced during his show on Thursday. The appearance marks Colbert's return to the television landscape three months after the cancellation of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" by CBS.
Kimmel, 58, framed Colbert's upcoming appearance as "the one and only Stephen Colbert making his return to late-night television," prompting a strong audience reaction. The former "Late Show" host will appear on ABC's program next Tuesday, according to network announcements.
CBS stated that Colbert's show was canceled for financial reasons, with reports prior to the announcement suggesting the program was losing approximately $40 million annually. However, both Colbert and Kimmel have publicly disputed these figures, suggesting the cancellation was politically motivated.
Colbert had openly criticized CBS's parent company, Paramount, shortly before the network announced his show's non-renewal in July 2025. This criticism came after Paramount reached a $16 million settlement with Donald Trump, a move Colbert described as "a big fat bribe." He also noted the timing of the settlement, which preceded the federal government's solidification of a merger between Paramount and Skydance, a company founded by David Ellison, son of GOP donor Larry Ellison and Paramount's new CEO.
Kimmel echoed these sentiments in a recent interview, calling the reported financial losses "made-up numbers." He argued that online viewership and linear television ratings demonstrate a continued relevance and audience for late-night programming. "We’re not just dying of natural causes. We’re being poisoned," Kimmel stated, suggesting external factors are contributing to the perceived decline of the genre.
Both Colbert and Kimmel have been vocal critics of Donald Trump. Colbert, in a broadcast following his cancellation announcement, directly addressed Trump. Kimmel also faced scrutiny earlier in the year, with FCC chair Brendan Carr suggesting the host could face an investigation for comments made about Charlie Kirk. Kimmel's current one-year contract is set to expire in May, after 24 years on the air.
Since the conclusion of "The Late Show," Colbert has been involved in co-writing a film for the "Lord of the Rings" franchise and recently appeared on a public access show in Michigan with Jack White of The White Stripes. During that appearance, Colbert humorously remarked on his brief absence from television, stating, "It's been an excruciating 23 hours without being on TV. So I am grateful to be here on Monroe Community Media, before they also get acquired by Paramount."
