Stephen Colbert stages late night host reunion ahead of ‘Late Show' finale

Stephen Colbert welcomed a powerhouse lineup of late-night hosts on Monday’s Late Show.

He staged a reunion of the “Strike Force Five” podcast crew just days before his series’ final episode.

Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver and Seth Meyers joined Colbert on stage, reviving the camaraderie they had first showcased in 2023.

At that time, the group had launched a limited run podcast to support their staffs during the writers’ strike.

The reunion carried extra weight as Colbert prepares to sign off on May 21.

The hosts announced a special video episode of Strike Force Five will drop May 13, with proceeds benefiting World Central Kitchen, the nonprofit that provides meals in humanitarian and climate crises.

The conversation mixed nostalgia with sharp humour.

Kimmel joked about streaming cancellations, Oliver recalled a “bath of humiliation” when only the Jimmys were recognized at a public event, and Meyers teased Colbert about his near perfect WikiFeet rating.

Colbert himself admitted to making out with more guests than his peers, name checking Helen Mirren, Sally Field and Andrew Garfield.

The group also tackled the bigger question: whether late night television still matters.

“Why should you have to defend late night?” Kimmel asked. “Ryan Seacrest doesn’t get asked that question about Wheel of Fortune.”

Oliver quipped that he was eager to hear Seacrest’s answer if the question ever came his way.

Colbert closed with a lighthearted game of “most likely to,” before reflecting on his departure.

“You’re like the candy shell, I’m the nougat filling … and then somebody came along and just sucked it out,” he shared with his guests.

Kimmel summed up the mood with a blunt metaphor: “It’s like when your young wife dies … ‘gone too soon’.”

CBS announced last July that The Late Show would end for financial reasons, a decision Colbert has acknowledged but continues to joke about.

An auction of items from the show’s set remains underway, with profits going to charity.