David Letterman will host his final broadcast of “The Late Show” on May 20, CBS and his production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated, announced Wednesday.
Stephen Colbert is leaving “The Colbert Report” on Comedy Central Dec. 18 to prepare for his new role as “Late Show” host, though it has not been confirmed he will debut May 21.
Letterman is the longest tenured late night host on the air, having begun “Late Night with David Letterman” Feb. 1, 1982. He has hosted “The Late Show” for 22 years. Since its CBS premiere in 1993, the show has snagged nine Emmy Awards (“Late Night” won another five) and 73 Emmy nominations. In 2012, Letterman received the Career Achievement Award from the Television Critics Association.
Colbert has previously joked on his own show he doesn’t envy whomever CBS selects to take the place of the late-night legend. “Those are some huge shoes to fill — and some really big pants,” he said in April.
As of May 20, Letterman will have hosted 6,028 episodes of both “Late Night” and “The Late Show,” according to CBS.
