NEWSStephen Colbert Returns to Late-Night TV With Support From a Longtime Friend
Stephen Colbert is returning to late-night TV with help from his long time friend Jimmy Kimmel.
Sept. 15 2026, Published 9:29 a.m. ET
Stephen Colbert is returning to late-night TV with help from his longtime friend Jimmy Kimmel.
The former talk show host, who helmed The Late Show with Stephen Colbert for over a decade, is set to appear as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday, September 15.
Stephen Colbert to Appear on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'
Jimmy Kimmel appeared excited to announce that Stephen Colbert would be joining him as a guest on Tuesday.
Kimmel broke the news of his fellow comedian’s appearance as a guest on his show last Thursday, September 10.
While the crowd erupted in cheers and clapping for the much-anticipated collaboration, the host himself appeared to be riding the same wave of enthusiasm at the prospect.
“We will be back in a very big way on Tuesday night, after the Emmys with the one and only Stephen Colbert, who will be making his return to late-night television,” Kimmel declared, per Late Nighter.
“Maybe I’ll let him sit here; I don’t know,” he said, while gesturing towards his desk after confirming the news.
Jimmy Kimmel broke the news of Stephen Colbert appearing as a guest on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' last Thursday.
Stephen Colbert won the Primetime Emmy Award on Monday, September 14, for his canceled show 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.'
“Either way, please join us for that,” he added.
The timing is especially noteworthy, as Colbert’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert won a Primetime Emmy Award on Monday, September 14, for his extraordinary work for the past decade.
His win delighted many fans and his peers in the industry, as his show was abruptly shut down in May this year, with CBS citing that the decision was made for “purely financial reasons.”
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Stephen Colbert Backed Jimmy Kimmel for Emmy Awards
Stephen Colbert publicly backed Jimmy Kimmel for this year's Emmy Awards.
Despite earning a nomination for Outstanding Variety Show for his canceled series, Colbert campaigned hard for Kimmel to win in the category.
He posted an endearing Instagram video, stating, “I think we can all agree that Jimmy Kimmel deserves an Emmy. I don’t care if you’ve never even seen his show, you know he deserves an Emmy.”
He then proceeded to flip around the tablet he was typing on to show a picture of the comedian, exclaiming, “Besides, look how cute he is!”
While making his intentions clear to back Kimmel in this year's Emmys, he also returned the favor from a year ago when Kimmel declared he was “voting for Stephen” with a billboard in West Hollywood ahead of last year's event for the prestigious award, per Variety.
Former executive producer of 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' called Stephen Colbert a 'fearless leader.'
Earlier this month, former The Late Show with Stephen Colbert executive producer Tom Purcell, received a Creative Arts Emmy Award for Writing for a Variety Series, per HuffPost.
During his acceptance speech, he made sure to thank “everybody who keeps late-night going.”
“That includes [Last Week Tonight with John Oliver], Daily Show, [Jimmy Kimmel Live!], all the other shows — it is a super important institution in this country. And, keep the flame burning, guys,” he said.
He also gave a special shoutout to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert's “fearless leader,” aka the comedian himself, by calling him the “best host” and “best boss in the world.”
