Jon Stewart honors Colbert’s final week on ‘The Late Show’: ‘Don’t confuse cancellation with failure’
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Jon Stewart joined Stephen Colbert on 'The Late Show' to celebrate Colbert’s final week on air before the show’s conclusion.
The late-night icon brought gifts, nostalgia, and some hilarious advice to honor his longtime friend and former correspondent.
Jon Stewart, with whom Stephen Colbert first started working 27 years ago, is in the house for the antepenultimate 'Late Show' episode ever. pic.twitter.com/Efg6rdFGLI
— LateNighter (@latenightercom) May 20, 2026
John Stewart reminisces and jokes about the duo's changing looks
The reunion kicked off with Stephen Colbert reminiscing about the duo's early days on Comedy Central.
He surprised Jon Stewart with a 27-year-old photograph featuring both of them sitting behind the 'Daily Show' desk.
Looking at the contrast between their younger selves and the present day, Stewart couldn't help but joke at his own appearance.
“One of us has not aged as well as the other,” Stewart joked.
He then added that the picture “looks like a double-blind study where they gave one of these people is getting age-defying peptides and the other one is getting a placebo.”
As the conversation shifted toward Colbert’s looming cancellation, Stewart decided to pass down a piece of advice he received from David Letterman back when his own 1990s MTV program, “The Jon Stewart Show,” was coming to an end.
“He said, ‘Don’t confuse cancellation with failure.’ I thought that was profound,” Stewart recalled. Then he added the punchline, “But then he said, ‘But in this case it is also a failure.’”
John Stewart gifts recliners and introduces a performance by Andra Day
Instead of writing a poem or singing a song like other guests, Stewart wanted to give Colbert a real, physical gift.
He said Colbert earned “a gift that benefits the sacrifice and work that you have put into this show, and that can show you the life you can lead and the life that I am leading now that I’m not really in show business. So, boys, bring it out.” Stagehands then brought out two luxury recliners.
As they sat down, Stewart yelled, “You’re going to enjoy watching ‘Matlock’ in this! Let me tell you something.”
To finish the tribute, Stewart introduced Grammy-winning singer Andra Day, stating that the moment needed something more to honor Colbert.
Day came out and sang her 2015 hit song “Rise Up” to end the segment. It may be noted that the final episode of 'The Late Show' airs this Thursday night.
Colbert's final week continues to bring major highlights as television fans prepare to say goodbye to this current era of late-night programming on CBS.
