Including a very special edition of the “Colbert Questionert.”

What to expect from Stephen Colbert’s last week hosting The Late Show

Including a very special edition of the “Colbert Questionert.”

May 18, 2026 3:03 p.m. ET

Stephen Colbert during 'The Late Show' on Monday, March 30, 2026. Credit:

Scott Kowalchyk/CBS

It’s the end of an era for late-night TV as we know it.

*The Late Show With Stephen Colbert* is officially ending this week after 11 years and more than 1,700 episodes. Stephen Colbert’s final week on CBS is destined to be an all-timer, with Jon Stewart and Bruce Springsteen among the recently announced guests set to join the host on stage for an inevitably bittersweet farewell.

There are also sure to be more than a few surprises in store for Colbert’s final run of episodes, as guests for the May 21 finale have yet to be revealed — though we have a handful of requests on our wishlist, including a certain Pope.

Perhaps the only silver lining around the cancellation of *The Late Show* is that we’ve known about it since July. That’s given Colbert several months to guide fans to the end, serving as a sort of death doula for his own show.

In the lead-up to his final week, Colbert got the *Strike Force Five* band back together, bringing fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver on *The Late Show*, along with veteran host David Letterman, who helped Colbert toss some CBS furniture off the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater.

Here’s what you can expect from the final week of *The Late Show With Stephen Colbert*, including the celebrity guests and musicians who will act as the orchestra playing Colbert off as the late-night ship sinks.

Monday, May 18

CBS has yet to announce any specific guests for Monday night’s show, which is billed as “The Worst of *The Late Show With Stephen Colbert*.”

According to the programming notes, this is “Not a clip show!” (emphasis theirs), so we’re sure that Colbert has something mischievous planned for the first of his final four episodes. Given the episode title and the length of Colbert’s tenure at CBS, it’s probable that he’ll put a clever spin on the tired clip-show format.

Tuesday, May 19

Steven Spielberg; David Byrne; Jon Stewart.

Maya Dehlin Spach/Getty; Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty; Paul Morigi/Getty

Tuesday night’s show features three very special guests, starting with Colbert’s former Comedy Central colleague Jon Stewart. The longtime host of *The Daily Show*, which introduced viewers to Colbert’s satirical conservative persona, recently stopped by *The Late Show* on April 22 to help auction off items from the show for charity.

Steven Spielberg is returning to *The Late Show* following his appearance in 2023, which marked the iconic filmmaker’s first time sitting for a late-night interview. This time around, he's promoting his new sci-fi film, *Disclosure Day*, about the release of classified government documents relating to aliens and UFOs.

There’s definitely some comedic potential to be mined from the subject matter, given our own government’s recent declassification of similar documents, a decision that was made for *no particular reason*.

The final guest on the May 19 episode is the legendary musician and former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne, who will join Colbert onstage for a special performance.

Wednesday, May 20

Bruce Springsteen on 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' on Oct. 25, 2021.

Scott Kowalchyk/CBS

*The Late Show* enters surprise territory on Wednesday, as the host will take his own “Colbert Questionert” with the help of unnamed “special guests.”

Recent questionnaire takers include former president Barack Obama, Ian McKellen, and Conan O’Brien — the latter of whom should probably make a return appearance for one of Colbert’s final episodes.

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Bruce Springsteen is also scheduled for a special performance on the May 20 episode, coinciding with the recent New York leg of his Land of Hope & Dreams tour.

Thursday, May 21

Stephen Colbert hosting 'The Late Show' on April 1, 2026.

Scott KowalchyCBS

The series finale of *The Late Show With Stephen Colbert* airs Thursday, May 21 — and that’s all we know right now.

CBS has yet to announce the guest lineup for Colbert’s final episode of *The Late Show*, and the very last episode of the iconic late-night show. Will Colbert interview Pope Leo XIV? How many *Lord of the Rings* stars can we expect to see? Hopefully we’ll find out more as the week progresses toward the inevitable hand-off to Byron Allen.

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Talk”