Ep 13: Strike Force Five Returns to Celebrate Stephen Colbert
Episode of Strike Force Five · May 13, 2026 · 48 min
Late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and John Oliver reunite to celebrate Stephen Colbert during the final week of The Late Show.
Summary
The five late-night hosts of Strike Force Five reunited for a thirteenth episode recorded during the final week of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, sponsored by Mint Mobile with proceeds going to World Central Kitchen, the charity Colbert had been raising money for. Colbert described the emotion of the ending as having reached his chin, recalled performing two shows with a burst appendix, and explained that his staff would be off the payroll the day after the final broadcast on May 21, with the offices cleared within a week, a situation Fallon compared to David Letterman's exit.
The hosts traded stories about comedy writers' rooms, including Oliver's memory of Aasif Mandvi's toe shoes at The Daily Show and Meyers' writer who wore a tank top. Colbert discussed CBS initially refusing to let him keep his suits, his recent interview with Barack Obama, the one guest he vowed never to rebook (a former Bush administration official who would only speak frankly off camera), guests he found distractingly attractive, arm-wrestling lessons, abandoned hobbies, and a kit boat he has been planning in his basement since 2008. He also recounted appearing nude on stage at 19 in Ken Russell's Madama Butterfly at the Spoleto Festival.
Fallon then hosted a second edition of Strike Force Wives, comparing the hosts' answers with those given by their wives about birthday gifts, daily routines and why they fell in love; Evie McGee Colbert's answer about Colbert's laugh lines closed the game. The episode ended with updates on merchandise sales, including 52,000 "Last Show" shirts sold for World Central Kitchen.
Chapters
- 0:00
Young staffers and life after the show
Colbert and Meyers reflect on working with young staff and Steve Martin's warning that retirees stop spending time with young people.
- 1:04
Introductions and charity
Kimmel introduces the hosts and notes Mint Mobile's donation to World Central Kitchen and the $110,000 auction for final-show tickets.
- 1:55
The final week and the burst appendix
Colbert describes the emotions of the last shows, his belief in the show must go on, and doing two shows with a burst appendix.
- 5:56
What comes next and clearing out
Colbert discusses vague post-show meetings, his family events, and staff being let go immediately after the finale, echoing Letterman's exit.
- 12:02
Host habits and writers' rooms
The hosts joke about covering absent microphones and share stories of comedy writers mocking colleagues' clothing.
- 15:18
Suits, Obama and memorable guests
Colbert talks about keeping his suits, his Obama interview, a guest he banned, and guests he found distractingly attractive.
- 23:17
Arm wrestling, hobbies and the basement boat
Colbert recounts arm-wrestling lessons, abandoned tap lessons, and his long-planned kit boat.
- 27:52
Vegas jokes and nude opera in Italy
After a Mint Mobile read, Colbert recalls appearing nude in Ken Russell's Madama Butterfly at 19, prompting other nudity stories.
- 35:16
Strike Force Wives
Fallon quizzes the hosts on how their answers match their wives' about birthdays, daily routines and falling in love.
- 45:42
Wrap-up and merchandise
The hosts thank sponsors and discuss sales of Strike Force Five and Last Show t-shirts benefiting World Central Kitchen.
Key points
What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.
- Seth Meyers
Meyers relayed Steve Martin's observation that hosts only spend time with young people because of their jobs.
“He goes, you only hang out with young people because you have this job”
- Stephen Colbert
Colbert said he performs through personal hardship because he believes in the show must go on out of personal commitment, not contractual obligation.
“I'm a big fan of the show must go on. Not because the show must go on like there's some contractor, some sword over my head”
- Stephen Colbert
Colbert recounted performing two shows on the night his appendix burst, with producers shielding him from the audience during breaks.
“My appendix burst and I did two shows, actually. It was a two-show night”
- Stephen Colbert
Colbert said the show consumes most of his mental energy, so he has no firm plans until it ends.
“This show takes all of my mind. Like, 95% of my mind every day to do this show”
- Stephen Colbert
Colbert said his staff will lose their jobs and pay immediately after the final show.
“no one's got a job after that night. I think the next day everyone's fired”
- Jimmy Fallon
Fallon noted that David Letterman saw his set being thrown into a dumpster right after his final show.
“He went outside and saw stuff going in the dumpster from his set”
- Stephen Colbert
Colbert said the network expects demolition of the set to begin immediately and that his staff will not be paid after the finale.
“I think they're gonna start tearing shit out immediately. I know my staff is not paid the next day”
- John Oliver
Oliver recalled Daily Show staff halting a meeting to remove toe shoes from correspondent Aasif Mandvi.
“The confidence to walk into a place where comedy writers are with those on your feet and think that that's okay”
- Stephen Colbert
Colbert said comedians relentlessly mock one another, recalling a gesture used at Second City to signal someone would be ridiculed all day.
“no one gets ridden harder than a comedian in a room with other comedians”
- Stephen Colbert
Colbert said CBS initially barred him from keeping his suits until he proposed selling them for charity.
“And then we said, well, we're just going to sell them for charity. And they went, okay, you can do that”
- Stephen Colbert
Colbert said he banned a former Bush administration official who gave bland answers on air but candid criticism off camera, arguing such guests were not representing their ideas.
“they're not here to actually represent an idea or to be themselves. They're being politicians while they're supposedly talking frankly about politicians”
- Stephen Colbert
Colbert said he views himself as the professional responsible for giving guests a good experience.
“I always feel like I'm the pro, they're not the”
- Stephen Colbert
Colbert said he took professional arm-wrestling lessons to beat John Krasinski, learning technique matters beyond strength.
“I actually went to one of these professional guys, because there are tricks to win. It's not all just force”
- Stephen Colbert
Colbert said he widened the doors during a 2008 home renovation so he could eventually build and remove a boat from his basement.
“when we renovated this house in 2008, I measured the doors and said, we have to get wider doors because I'm going to build a boat down here”
- Stephen Colbert
Colbert recounted appearing nude on stage nightly for about two weeks at age 19 in a Spoleto Festival production.
“So I was naked on stage every night for about two weeks”
- John Oliver
Oliver said he did not want anything for his birthday because wanting gifts seemed inappropriate given the state of the world.
“No, just the way the world is right now, it seemed inappropriate”
- Stephen Colbert
Colbert said he believes he has a good marriage despite scoring poorly on Fallon's spouse quizzes.
“I think I have a good relationship with my wife, but we do terribly on your test”
Linked moment · 46:09Skip to 46:09 using a listen link in the info box.
Jimmy KimmelKimmel said nearly all of the roughly 3,600 Strike Force Five t-shirts ordered had sold.
“We ordered like 3,600, we sold all but about 40 of those t-shirts”
- Stephen Colbert
Colbert said 52,000 "Last Show" t-shirts had been sold with all proceeds going to World Central Kitchen.
“All the money goes to World Central Kitchen as well. We have sold 52,000 of them”
People
In the conversation
- Jimmy KimmelABC late-night host targeted by the White House
- Jimmy FallonAmerican comedian and host of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
- Seth MeyersAmerican comedian and host of Late Night with Seth Meyers
- John OliverBritish-American comedian and host of Last Week Tonight
- Stephen ColbertAmerican comedian and host of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Discussed
- David LettermanLate-night host who competed for The Tonight Show
- Barack ObamaFormer president referenced in comparing 2010 midterm conditions
- Steve MartinAmerican comedian, Randolph's Only Murders in the Building co-star
- Evie McGee ColbertStephen Colbert's wife, who took him to the hospital and answered Strike Force Wives questions
- Michelle WilliamsAmerican actress Colbert found distractingly attractive as a guest
- Rachel WeiszBritish actress Colbert said he avoided at The Daily Show out of nervousness
- Paulina PorizkovaModel who named Colbert as her hall pass
- Ken RussellBritish director whose Madama Butterfly at Spoleto featured a nude Colbert
- Ryan ReynoldsActor and husband of Blake Lively
- John KrasinskiActor Colbert arm-wrestled on his show
- Josh BrolinActor Colbert arm-wrestled on his show
- Aasif MandviFormer Daily Show correspondent mocked for wearing toe shoes
Topics
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From the publisher
Strike Force Five returns for a new episode celebrating Stephen Colbert and the last week of The Late Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 28, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.