Stephen Colbert has wrapped up his run on The Late Show after more than a decade, and he did it with a bang. One of the last few episodes of the show this month, featuring late-night peers Jimmy Kimmel and others, pulled in an impressive 2.819 million viewers, making it one of the strongest performances of the year. 

It seems that with the show now in its final month, the atmosphere has clearly shifted into celebratory. And, understandably, apart from the star-studded guest lineup, the episodes have pulled in more viewers.

In the final week of The Late Show, ahead of its finale episode on May 22, 2026, Stephen Colbert's The Late Show leaves as Number 1 among total views for nine straight seasons, meaning he leaves at spot 1 per Nielsen data. In the final week, Colbert welcomed friends and colleagues as guests. Several guests paid tribute and expressed their gratitude for Colbert’s contribution to the show and to late-night television more broadly. And one of the most-watched episodes was when the host welcomed other late-night hosts, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver, and Seth Meyers. 

The other episodes in the last week were also quite star-studded. From Jon Stewart and Steven Spielberg to David Byrne, several guests appeared to show their love and support for Colbert. Veep actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus also made a surprise appearance on the show.

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Given the emotional weight, nostalgia, and star power of the farewell episodes, it was no surprise that the show saw a noticeable ratings boost. And safe to say, the finale episode was not much different.

The finale episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert also had a heartwarming series of tributes to the 62-year-old. He kicked off the episode with an emotional monologue, thanking the audience as well as the show’s crew. Praising the show's crew as well as the audience, he even called it a “joy machine.” 

“We call it the joy machine because to do this many shows, it has to be a machine,” he said. 

“But the thing is, if you choose to do it with joy, it doesn't hurt as much when your fingers get caught in the gears. And I can't adequately explain to you what the people who work here have done for each other and how much we mean to each other.”

At the same time, he kept the mood light, joking throughout the episode. Guests, including Ryan Reynolds, Tim Meadows, Paul Rudd, and comedian Tig Notaro, joined the show. And the episode came to a close with Paul McCartney’s melodious performance of Hello Goodbye.

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