Stephen Colbert Returns to Late-Night on Kimmel, Shaves His Beard After Emmy Win

Stephen Colbert is back on a late-night couch for the first time since signing off in May, and he brought a razor. The former Late Show host appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live one night after The Late Show won the 2026 Emmy for Outstanding Variety Series, and the three-segment interview covered everything from his new life in New Zealand to his Lord of the Rings movie.

Colbert told Kimmel he doesn’t miss the job, saying he had an opportunity to not think about the news every day and he took it. He also shared a story about getting pulled over by a friendly police officer in New Zealand. But the moment everyone’s talking about came when Colbert shaved his beard on air, a promise he’d made to his wife Evie if he won an Emmy.

Kimmel closed things out by revealing that Colbert gifted him the Captain America shield from The Colbert Report, which now hangs permanently on Kimmel’s set. Colbert said he knew exactly where he wanted to send the shield when the set came apart.

Would you shave your beard (or head) on live TV for an Emmy win? Tell us in the comments.