What’s next for Stephen Colbert as “The Late Show” shutters on CBS with Thursday’s finale remains a mystery — but the beloved host hinted hours before that telecast one way he’ll stay in the public eye.
That’s right: Colbert joined TikTok.
It appears the account, independently verified by the social media platform, was created on Thursday and currently amasses just 213 followers at the time of publication. There are no video posts or likes to speak of yet, and the comedian’s bio even reads: “No bio yet.”
The profile photo uploaded to the account appears to be from Colbert’s personal collection: somewhere on a boat wearing sunglasses, a neckerchief and sporting some scruff. Perhaps as good a sign as any that after Thursday’s “Late Show” series finale, it’s time for the comedian to take a break and relax.
Colbert has been present on TikTok over the years, but strictly through the official “Late Show” channel @colbertlateshow, which itself boasts 4.4 million followers.
Now it appears that @colbert may be an avenue for him to continue monologuing to the masses.
Pop Crave appeared to be the first to take notice of Colbert’s TikTok debut and shared the news with its 3.9 million X followers — which itself garnered enthusiastic responses supporting the late night host and lamenting the “modern media irony” of it all.
“So the final chapter of ‘The Late Show’ comes with a TikTok debut … that’s peak modern media irony,” wrote one user in response to Pop Crave.
“Starting a TikTok during the final week of your show is basically the media equivalent of, ‘Fine, I’ll do it myself,’” wrote another.
Stephen Colbert going full TikTok is the most 2026 thing I've heard all week. the king of late night entering the algorithm era feels like a whole mood shift
— Lyra (@LyraSongstress) May 21, 2026
Let him cook
— Beast👹 (@oluomo_king) May 21, 2026
Colbert ends his time on “The Late Show” after 11 years as host. Response to CBS canceling the legacy late night program have been nothing short of irate over the last year, but the last week in particular has seen Colbert getting his flowers — and a healthy dose of shared rage — from his assembly line of who’s-who guests.
“I have every right to be pissed off, so I’ll just be pissed off here a little bit,” former “Late Show” host David Letterman told Colbert on Thursday’s episode. “Because this theater, you folks, wouldn’t be in this theater if it weren’t for me. And Stephen wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for me. We rebuilt this theater, and then Stephen came in, and, look at this, it’s like the Bellagio.”
TheWrap will continue reporting out Colbert’s final episode Thursday evening.
