The former “Late Show” host promised his wife he’d lose the facial hair if he won the Emmy.

Jimmy Kimmel makes Stephen Colbert shave his beard off on air: ‘You can finally get kissed again’

The former “Late Show” host promised his wife he’d lose the facial hair if he won the Emmy.

By Derek Lawrence

Derek Lawrence

Derek Lawrence is a former associate editor at **. He left EW in 2022.

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September 16, 2026 10:18 a.m. ET

Stephen Colbert shaving on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’. Credit:

Jimmy Kimmel Live

- Stephen Colbert shaved his beard on Tuesday’s *Jimmy Kimmel Live*.

- The former *Late Show* host promised his wife that he’d lose the facial hair if he won the Emmy.

- Kimmel joked that he’s going to start collecting late-night beards.

Stephen Colbert won an Emmy and lost a beard.

A night after the final season of *The Late Show With Stephen Colbert* scored the award for Outstanding Variety Series, the former host appeared on *Jimmy Kimmel Live*, still rocking his unemployment facial hair.

“I was so excited to win because Evie hates my beard so much, and the kiss count has gone way down,” he said of his wife. “But I said, if I win an Emmy, she has to kiss me, because the camera will be on us. I also told her that if I won I would shave it off.”

Kimmel then asked Colbert if they could fulfill that promise on the show, and after a rapturous reaction from the audience, Colbert agreed to the “fairly scandalous” request.

Once the rest of the interview concluded, Kimmel pulled out an electric razor and mirror for Colbert to take care of the beard himself. Colbert was spitting hair out of his mouth as *Live* went to commercial, and when the show returned, he was completely clean-shaven.

“Now I recognize you,” Kimmel declared. “Evie is going to be very, very happy. You can finally get kissed again.”

Colbert responded, “Time for smoochies!”

Kimmel put some of the leftover remnants in a jar labeled “late night beard hair,” joking that he was going to start a collection. “You can use that in the future to clone a whole new race of late night hosts,” Colbert commented. “They’ll all still be white.”

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Earlier in their chat, Kimmel noted that Colbert seems like a “different,” “happier,” and “healthier” person since he and *The Late Show* signed off in May after 11 seasons. “I have an opportunity to not think about the news every day, and I took it,” Colbert responded.

Colbert is currently staying busy by writing a new *Lord of the Rings* movie with his son...and likely kissing his wife again.

Watch Colbert shave off his beard in the video above.

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