Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel were once considered Stephen Colbert's competitors on network television, but now they are the friends he hates to see go. Fallon, 51, and Kimmel, 58, are giving Colbert an unusual sendoff as The Late Show airs its last episode on Thursday by closing their own sets and going dark in late-night solidarity. Instead, their shows will air reruns. That way, the spotlight will shine only on Colbert, who no doubt has a few surprises up his sleeve for his bittersweet farewell.
Fallon's Tribute
Fallon concluded his Wednesday show with a nod to Colbert, 62. 'Thank you for watching,' The Tonight Show host told viewers. 'Stay tuned for Late Night with Seth Meyers. And Stephen, have a great show tomorrow. We'll be watching. Good night, everybody.' Fallon, whose recent guest Sienna Miller caused a stir by sharing candid footage of breastfeeding her newborn, planned to watch Colbert during his 11:35 p.m. time slot. However, The Tonight Show will air a new episode on Friday with guests Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and musical guest Maluma.
Kimmel's Solidarity
Kimmel's set also went dark in 2015 when Colbert's predecessor, David Letterman, signed off as host of The Late Show. Days before the death knell, Colbert assembled Fallon, Kimmel, Meyers, John Oliver, and the now-retired Letterman to help him throw some CBS furniture off the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater, including Colbert's office chair, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Colbert's Philosophical Farewell
Antics aside, Colbert recently revealed he is feeling philosophical about CBS's decision to end the late-night talk show. 'I mean, you can't do this forever. You have to think about, well, when is the right time to end your tenure? I didn't think this soon, but I mean, who knows?' he told People. 'Maybe CBS saved my life because it takes a lot of bone marrow to do the show every day, and now I'll be stepping down with enough time, enough energy to do other things that I want to do.'
Plans After the Show
Colbert also shared how he will spend his first day after The Late Show ends. 'I'm going to my brother's wedding in Washington D.C.,' he said. 'My [eight] brothers and sisters and [their] husbands and wives are coming to the last show, and then we're all getting on the train the next day and going down to D.C. to go to Tommy's wedding.' Colbert is looking forward to the focus being on his brother rather than himself for once. 'It's great, I love it,' he continued. 'The next day focus is not on me, focus is on my brother. So much better. We'll get drunk and we'll sing. We all think we have good voices. That's the great danger of our family, especially the men. It'll be great.'
Announcement of the Show's End
Colbert announced the axing of The Late Show in July 2025. The comedian, who replaced Letterman at the helm in 2015, thanked CBS and TV viewers at the time for their support of the show. He said: 'I'm not being replaced. This is all just going away. I do want to say that the folks at CBS have been great partners… And I'm grateful to the audience, you, who have joined us every night, in here, out there, and all around the world.'
