Jon Stewart takes on CBS with Stephen Colbet in his final show.
Jon Stewart Rips CBS in Fiery Colbert Reunion
May 20 2026, Published 2:10 p.m. ET
Jon Stewart used one of Stephen Colbert’s last nights on The Late Show to celebrate his longtime friend, joke about life after cancellation, and take a pointed shot at CBS before Colbert’s final broadcast this week.
Stewart appeared on the Tuesday, May 19, episode as Colbert neared the end of his 11-year run.
Colbert’s final episode will air on Thursday, May 21, at 11:35 p.m. ET. CBS announced in July 2025 that it would end The Late Show, saying the decision was based on finances.
Stewart criticizes CBS as Colbert's show comes to an end.
The reunion brought together two performers who have worked together for nearly thirty years. Colbert collaborated with Stewart on The Daily Show before launching The Colbert Report in 2005 and later taking over The Late Show in 2015.
Stewart mixed jokes with a heartfelt tribute to Colbert, calling him “a tremendous human and one of my favorite people.” He shared his own experience of losing a late-night show, recalling advice he received from David Letterman after The Jon Stewart Show ended in 1995.
Stewart shared that Letterman told him, “Don’t confuse cancellation for failure” and then added the punch line: “But then he said, ‘In this case, it’s also a failure.’”
The emotional part of the segment featured an unexpected gift. Stewart rolled out two electric-lift recliners, telling Colbert he deserved something “tangible” after years of work on the show. They sat in the chairs as Stewart joked that Colbert could use one to watch Matlock.
Stewart then introduced singer Andra Day, who performed Rise Up while the two hosts sat together in the chairs. This moment shifted the segment from comedy to a farewell for one of late-night television’s most prominent hosts.
Stewart also addressed the anger surrounding the show’s cancellation. CBS said the move was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.”
This announcement followed Colbert's criticism of Paramount, CBS’ parent company, for settling a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris during the 2024 campaign.
Paramount agreed to pay $16 million in the settlement while seeking a merger with Skydance Media, a deal that needed approval from the Trump administration.
Colbert had referred to the settlement as a “big fat bribe” on his show, and three days later, he informed viewers that CBS would end The Late Show in May 2026.
Stewart’s appearance continued a week filled with significant guests and old friends.
Entertainment Weekly reported that filmmaker Steven Spielberg and musician David Byrne also joined Tuesday’s show. Byrne performed Talking Heads’ Burning Down the House, with Colbert joining him onstage.
Colbert has maintained the farewell week with plenty of jokes, even as the show’s end has attracted attention across the entertainment industry.
The Associated Press noted that The Late Show won two Emmys under Colbert’s leadership, along with a Peabody Award. The program started in 1993 with Letterman, before Colbert took over the desk more than twenty years later.
For Stewart, the visit provided one last chance to honor Colbert and criticize the network for ending his show. For Colbert, it was another public farewell before his final night behind the desk.
Colbert already has projects lined up as he is set to co-write a new Lord of the Rings movie for Warner Bros. alongside his son, Peter McGee.