Kimmel confirmed that he will return on May 21, clearing the way for Colbert’s “Late Show” finale.
LOS ANGELES — Jimmy Kimmel announced Monday that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” will not air a new episode on May 21, the night Stephen Colbert hosts the final episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on CBS.
Kimmel This decision was confirmed to LateNighter in personsaid his ABC show would not be producing new episodes next Thursday out of respect for Colbert’s sendoff. The show is scheduled to air new episodes Monday through Wednesday next week, with reruns following Thursday’s exit from Colbert.
“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” is still scheduled to air a new episode that night.
Kimmel and Colbert have long been more friends than rivals, appearing on each other’s shows after Colbert was canceled and Kimmel himself clashed with the Trump administration over a joke about the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk.
Kimmel made a similar move in 2015 after David Letterman retired from the same CBS franchise. At the time, Kimmel said he had too much respect for Letterman to risk keeping viewers away from the historic send-off.
“I have too much respect for Dave to do anything that would distract from his final show,” he said at the time. “Plus, I could cry all day long, which makes it hard for me to work.”
The news comes as The Late Show‘s final weeks have taken on the feel of a late-night reunion. Fallon, Kimmel, Seth Meyers and John Oliver will join Colbert on Monday night for the “Fighting Up” reunion show, named after the podcast the five hosts co-produced during the 2023 writers’ strike. David Letterman will appear on the show on May 14th.
Other guests who stopped by at the end of the show included John Krasinski, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Pedro Pascal and Tom Hanks, as well as former President Barack Obama’s “Colbert Questions” segment.
When does “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” end?
The final episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” will air on Thursday, May 21, on CBS. Colbert succeeded David Letterman in 2015 and hosted “The Late Show” for 11 years. The show won numerous accolades during its run, including Emmy and Peabody Awards.
CBS announced the cancellation of “The Late Show” in July 2025, citing financial reasons rather than program content. The timing immediately attracted close attention. Many high-profile figures called the cancellation an act of censorship, as the move comes at a time when parent company Paramount is seeking FCC approval to sell it to Skydance. Colbert is a frequent critic of President Donald Trump and was repeatedly reprimanded by the administration months ago.
The finale will air on May 21 at 11:35 pm ET on CBS.
