Stephen Colbert is officially back from his summer hiatus, and the lineup of guests heading to his desk has fans buzzing. The very first booking is already making waves: John Oliver, Colbert’s fellow Daily Show alum and longtime friend, who has been vocal in his support since the shocking downfall of The Late Show. But Oliver is just the start. Colbert’s upcoming guest list is stacked with names that promise both big laughs and big headlines. And among those is one unexpected figure whose appearance could change everything
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert returns with new episodes — see the guest lineup
Colbert’s fellow talk show host John Oliver will kick off a string for new episodes this week.
Stephen Colbert isn’t done yet.
While the talk show host announced in July that CBS has decided to end The Late Show With Stephen Colbert in May 2026, there are plenty of guests to be had before then.
Colbert has been on a summer hiatus since early August, with reruns filling its time slot, but he returns with new episodes beginning Tuesday, Sept. 2.
First up on his guest list is John Oliver, who, like Colbert, is a former correspondent on The Daily Show. The British-born comedian is also one of the many who have voiced support for Colbert in the wake of the death of the long-running Late Show franchise.
Along with the host of HBO’s Last Week Tonight, Colbert will welcome stand-up comedian Joe Dombrowski on that first show back.
On Wednesday, Sept. 3, Oscar-nominated actor Mark Ruffalo will join him at the Ed Sullivan Theater. Retired NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony will also be a guest.
The Thursday, Sept. 4 episode, actress America Ferrera will sit down with Colbert. Katherine Maher, the CEO of NPR, will be there as well.
Maher will most certainly speak about the financial losses that NPR has suffered, after the Republican-majority Congress last month canceled funds for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, through which the organization is funded, at the direction of President Donald Trump. The result was the loss of $1.1 billion for public media.
Colbert and Trump aren’t friendly either. The latter celebrated when Colbert was canceled, posting on social media, “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired” and that the funny man’s “talent was even less than his ratings.”
Colbert’s response was clear: “Go f— yourself.”
Despite experiencing a tumultuous time right now, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert is nominated in the category of Outstanding Talk Series trophy at this month’s Emmy Awards.
Another of Colbert’s fellow late-night hosts, Jimmy Kimmel, has been particularly vocal about throwing his weight behind his competitor for the Emmy. He even put up a billboard in Los Angeles reading, “I’m Voting for Stephen!”
Trump has targeted Kimmel, too, proclaiming that him “next to go.”
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.
