Adam Sandler, Anderson Cooper, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, John Oliver and Andy Cohen were among those who made surprise appearances on Monday's episode after CBS announced that the late night show would be ending in May 2026.

"The people at CBS who have manipulated and handled this are going to be embarrassed,” the former 'Late Show' host says. “This is gutless”

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs on CBS, whose parent company, Global, is in the midst of a merger with Skydance. The reported $8 billion deal was delayed by a la

Speaking with his former executive producer, Barbara Gaines, in a YouTube video Friday, Letterman called the axing of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert “pure cowardice” and said he doesn’t believe the official line from CBS that the decision was purely about economics (the show has reportedly become a money-loser for the network).

Gov. Josh Shapiro and Stephen Colbert, both critics of President Donald Trump, spoke about a variety of topics on the show, which is slated to end next year.

Paramount announced last week that “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” would be ending in May 2026. While the company claimed the move was a purely “financial decision,” speculation has swirled over whether Colbert’s sharp criticism of Trump had anything to do with his ouster as Paramount looked to get its merger approved.

John Oliver, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and more had cameos during the July 21 episode of "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert."

The union says of the Colbert cancellation, "Now, more urgently than ever, is a time for courage, not cowardice."