The comedian’s show won the Outstanding Writing For A Variety Series and Outstanding Variety Series awards at the 2026 Emmys.

Stephen Colbert addresses whether he’s planning to return to late-night after Late Show cancellation

The comedian’s show won the Outstanding Writing For A Variety Series and Outstanding Variety Series awards at the 2026 Emmys.

By Marina Watts

Marina Watts

Marina Watts is a news writer for with seven years experience covering entertainment, pop culture and celebrity news. Her previous work appears in PEOPLE, Bustle and Newsweek.

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September 15, 2026 4:52 p.m. ET

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Stephen Colbert at the Primetime Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sept. 14, 2026. Credit:

Randy Shropshire/NBC)

- Stephen Colbert weighs in on whether he will return to the late-night television format anytime soon.

- Colbert, who is developing a new *Lord of the Rings *movie with his son, said that “for an unemployed person, I’m very busy.”

- The comedian’s show, *The Late Show With Stephen Colbert*, won the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Series on Monday evening.

Is another late-night host gig in the cards for Stephen Colbert?

The former *Late Show** *host weighed in on whether he would ever return to the television format months after his show ended in May on CBS.

“I think the Jimmys have got that locked down for right now,” he quipped during an interview with *Live From E!: 2026 Emmys* on Monday evening ahead of the awards show. “But thank you for the invitation.”

Colbert also added that “for an unemployed person, I’m very busy.” He had recently spent a month in New Zealand researching for the *Lord of the Rings* movie that he is developing with his son, Peter.

Stephen Colbert and the cast and crew of ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ at the Primetime Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles in September 2026.

Rich Polk/Variety via Getty

Later that Monday evening, Colbert’s show won the Outstanding Variety Series Emmy for the second year in a row. The show also won five Creative Arts Emmys at the previous weekend’s ceremony.

“Thank you so much on behalf of the over 200 people who threw themselves at this show for 11 years to try to do the best show they possibly could to you,” Colbert said in part during his acceptance speech onstage at the Peacock Theater.

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“The thing about these late shows is that besides being a really good, steady job, is that they require so many people that they’re a fantastic incubator for young people to come in to learn to work professionally on a deadline in cooperation and collaboration, and that is the future of our business that we have to look after,” added Colbert.

He also joked that many of his past guests were in the same room with him that evening. “Over the last 21 years, I’ve interviewed at least 1,000 of you. Thank you for coming on to talk to this idiot. I want you to know that you were the perfect guest. This segment went great, and I’m sorry I forgot to play your clip.”

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This year, Colbert* *also won Outstanding Writing For A Variety Series, as well as Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama Or Variety Series for *Colbert Before Air*, bringing his total 2026 Emmys statuette count to three.

Colbert is returning to late-night television this week. Well, kind of. He will appear as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel’s eponymous talk show. Kimmel teased the newly minted Emmy winner’s presence, adding that he might even let Colbert sit at his desk.

Stephen Colbert on ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ in May 2026.

Scott Kowalchyk/CBS

Catch Colbert’s triumphant return (ish) to late night on* Jimmy Kimmel Live* tonight at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.

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Source: “EW Late”