Stephen Colbert Says Emotional Farewell in CBS’s The Late Show Series Finale

Stephen Colbert bid farewell on the finale of CBS’s The Late Show. He thanked his staff, studio audience, and viewers for their support over 11 years.

Colbert stepped onto stage amid cheering from the Ed Sullivan Theater audience. He said to those who missed the show, “You’ve missed a lot.”

When he noted Thursday was final broadcast night and the audience booed, Colbert wagged his finger saying, “No, no we were lucky enough to be here for the last 11 years. You can’t take this for granted.”

He joked about his future plans: “A lot of people have been asking me what I plan to do after tonight, and the answer is drugs.”

In a conversation with People magazine, Colbert said he hasn’t figured out his next steps, stating, “I’ve got to finish this first, because it takes almost the entirety of my brain to do this now.”

He told Architectural Digest in a video tour of the theater: “But someone will figure it out, and I wish them all the luck in the world-because they’re gonna love it.”