The 10 Best Modern Late Night TV Hosts, Ranked

Late-night comedy has undergone a dramatic shift in the past few years with the exits of David Letterman, Jon Stewart, and Jay Leno from the late-night desk. Stewart then returned for a weekly election-season slot on his hit-making show, The Daily Show, but only after his show, The Problem With Jon Stewart, was canceled by Apple TV + when he refused to censor his views. We saw the arrival of many fresh faces, turning the late-night wars into a fractured battle waged on many fronts, from TV ratings to YouTube views. Many of those newer names have lost or left their shows, like Trevor Noah left The Daily Show and the loss of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee and Desus & Mero.

We are no longer in the heated era of Letterman and Jay Leno. The competition is now friendly, with everyone seemingly a fan of their counterparts. For half a decade, the negative energy turned instead toward Donald Trump and politics in general. For some hosts, that became their entire brand. Others have tried to hold on to the light, feel-good comedy of days gone by. But all of them have looked to create their own identity in the world of comedy. The field is smaller than it used to be, but every name below is great in their own way. Here are the best late-night talk show hosts ranked in the modern era of late night.

10 James Corden

‘The Late Late Show with James Corden’

In 2015, following the promotion of Stephen Colbert to the premiere time slot, CBS brought in British actor and comedian James Corden to fill the vacancy. Running from 2015 until his departure in 2023, The Late Late Show with James Corden was a celebration of fun and games, birthing some of the most iconic recurring bits on late-night television. The two biggest recurring segments included “Carpool Karaoke,” which featured Corden driving around celebrities for an interview and a song or ten, and “Crosswalk the Musical,” where Corden and his famous friends would flash-mob style present a parody of some of the most prominent and current musicals.

Corden’s ability to bring his comedy stylings to the outside. For the most part, many late-night programs on the big networks stick to one-on-one interviews. Instead, Corden used the standard British chat show format and took all of his guests out at once for a fun group conversation. Corden was excellent at his job, though some people were turned off at just how much Corden was thrown into mainstream entertainment. If there was a musical, chances are people would assume Corden would be cast in it! Corden’s spirit was his bright spot and shining legacy on late night television.

The Late Late Show with james Corden is currently not available for streaming or purchase.

9 Taylor Tomlinson

‘After Midnight’

Taylor Tomlinson is one of the few women on this list. Amber Ruffin could easily be here as well, but her Peacock show, The Amber Ruffin Show, rarely airs. Tomlinson is low on the list, not because of her talent, but rather the fact that she’s the new kid on the block. Taking over for James Corden leaving The Late Late Show, the rebranded hour after Stephen Colbert‘s The Late Show was only taken over by Tomlinson’s After Midnight on January 17, 2024.

There is a lot of promise here because
After Midnight
isn’t your typical late night show of monologue followed by celebrity interviews. Instead, it puts its guests in a game show format.

There is a lot of promise here because After Midnight isn’t your typical late night show of monologue followed by celebrity interviews. Instead, it puts its guests in a game show format. After Midnight used to air on Comedy Central in the 2010s as @midnight with Chris Hardwick as host. With Tomlinson’s sense of humor (she has put out three Netflix standup specials), the revival can go even further.

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8 Chelsea Handler

‘Chelsea Lately’

Chelsea Handler was a trailblazer when it came to women in the 21st century late night television universe. Handler hosted Chelsea Lately on E! from 2007 until 2014. After rising to prominence on the sketch show The Chelsea Handler Show, she was approached to host her own talk show. Presented in a half-hour format, the show begins with a cold open and a stand-up monologue before moving into a pop culture round table.

The series brought promise to many rising comedians, including Whitney Cummings, Jo Koy, Loni Love, and Heather McDonald. Like Jimmy Kimmel, Handler had her own fan-favorite sidekick, Chuy Bravo. The episode would then move into a brief interview portion before ending with a sketch or monologue. Being on E!, Handler had a bit more freedom to showcase her crass humor and borderline commentary. Following her time on E!, Handler tried her hand at a new format on Netflix that lasted only a year.

Chelsea Lately is currently not available for streaming or purchase.

7 Conan O’Brien

‘Conan’

Conan O’Brien was on a course to be the face of late night television. He seemingly played all of his cards right, but when he finally took over The Tonight Show, it wasn’t working. NBC went back to Jay Leno, leaving Conan O’Brien without a late night slot. So, TBS came to the rescue to bring the comedian to their neck of the woods.

On Conan, everything that fans had previously loved about him returned. It was as if the Conan fans loved was just transported to a new studio. Joined by his loveable sidekick Andy Richter, Conan marked a new era for Conan O’Brien. While O’Brian and his team tried to stay away from old bits and sketches, O’Brien had to bring back the classics. The series ran for 11 seasons from 2010 until 2021.

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6 Jimmy Fallon

‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’

After helming Late Night for five years, Jimmy Fallon became the host of The Tonight Show in 2014. He has become the object of much criticism over the years, from his less-than-stellar interviewing skills, his annoying habit of laughing too often when there’s not even a joke, and the awkward way he tried to tiptoe around the Trump presidency.

No matter what, Fallon has continued to entertain audiences with his unique brand of crack-up comedy. Fallon is a terrific performer, which is what made him so popular on Saturday Night Live. Still, if you prefer a simpler monologue and fun games, a good time can be found. This version of The Tonight Show certainly has the Jimmy Fallon brand all over it.

5 Andy Cohen

‘Watch What Happens Live’

Next to Jimmy Kimmel, no one has been at their gig longer than Andy Cohen, who has hosted Watch What Happens Live since 2009. Cohen has done it all. He’s been a news producer and appeared on news shows as well. Many may know him as the host of Real Housewives (where he’s also the executive producer), and he once even hosted a revamped Love Connection. Watch What Happens Live is where he shines best.

The show started as something small that you’d find on a weekend, before becoming a daily weeknight event. It’s a more intimate show, as Cohen doesn’t sit behind a desk, and he is more concerned with keeping it light with celebrity talk and guests. With Cohen, the show only continues to get bigger. Whether he’s bringing the biggest and brightest stars from Bravo to the Club House or inviting huge celebrities over to gush about their favorite Bravo IP, only Cohen can steer this guilty pleasure ship.

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4 Jimmy Kimmel

‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’

Jimmy Kimmel is the longest-tenured veteran on the list, having hosted his ABC show since 2003. The former star of Win Ben Stein’s Money and The Man Show has seen his act evolve from a more immature sense of humor to something that while still funny, can also be very serious.

Several times the host has shed tears on camera, whether it be about the latest American tragedy or his young son’s health. That doesn’t mean he’s lost his sense of fun. The quick wit with his guests that always keeps viewers on their toes is still there, as well as his popular segments such as “This Week in Unnecessary Censorship” and “Mean Tweets.” And no matter what’s happening in the world, his feud with Matt Damon will not die.

3 Seth Meyers

‘Late Night with Seth Meyers’

Seth Meyers, the former Saturday Night Live cast member, succeeded Fallon in 2014. His years of co-hosting “Weekend Update” with Tina Fey prepared him for the world of late night. His show sputtered at first but found success in the ever-popular “A Closer Look” segments and “Day Drinking,” the latter of which sees him, well, drinking during the day with everyone from Kelly Clarkson and Lorde to Will Forte and Ina Garten.

Similar to what Jon Stewart did every night on The Daily Show, or what John Oliver now does every Sunday, Meyers picks a subject fresh in the news and spends fifteen minutes dissecting it. This is when he’s at his best, tapping into what made him so successful at SNL. While Meyers’ show is a mostly political one, it’s not bitter. There are lots of laughs to counter the cynicism. Meyers’ interviewing skills, while not having reached the greatness of a Colbert, create interesting conversations with every guest, whether it be movie stars or world leaders.

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2 John Oliver

‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’

John Oliver, the longtime The Daily Show correspondent and once fill-in host, debuted on HBO in 2014 to much acclaim. He is the one most like his old boss and confidently carries Stewart’s torch. Each episode has the usual covering of whatever happened in the news last week, but the meatiest part is the main segment where, for twenty minutes or more, Oliver focuses on one subject. It could be something everyone is talking about such as COVID or Critical Race Theory, or it could be the less covered subjects like the power grid and union-busting.

No matter what’s on his mind, the viewer is guaranteed not only to laugh but to learn a lot as well. His takedowns and calls for action pack a more powerful punch due to the immediacy caused by his one-episode a week format. It lets the issues linger in our psyche, rather than being replaced by something else the next night. That approach has succeeded, as Last Week Tonight has won several Emmys for Outstanding Variety Talk Series, and in 2024 was crowned the winner for Outstanding Scripted Variety Series.

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1 Stephen Colbert

‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’

The leader of the pack in ratings, Stephen Colbert was already a late-night powerhouse from his The Daily Show days and his decade-long run on the Emmy-winning The Colbert Report. Replacing one of the all-time greats in David Letterman in 2015 became a more difficult task than most imagined, as he and the country struggled to leave his grumpy conservative shtick behind.

It was during the Trump years that Colbert took off, finding his voice by simply being himself.

It was during the Trump years that Colbert took off, finding his voice by simply being himself. He became the nightly voice of reason vacated by Stewart. His interviews match the intensity of his monologue. He can joke around with the best of them, but it’s his serious discussions with journalists and those in the know, as well as his heartfelt talks with the likes of President Biden to Andrew Garfield about their shared loss, that make Colbert the best in the game.

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Keep Reading: The 9 Best Late Night Talk Show Hosts of All Time