Earlier this week we saw Stephen Colbert beginning to shed his 'Colbert Report' character with a first stop on David Letterman's standing 'Late Show,' before Colbert's takeover in 2015, but both Colbert and his character will enjoy a long victory tour before moving to broadcast. Watch 'The Colbert Report' host make his in-character goodbyes to 'The Daily Show''s Jon Stewart, a year ahead of schedule!

Though we have no idea precisely when Colbert's real Comedy Central farewell tour will begin, given that David Letterman has yet to set a concrete retirement date for 2015, we know Colbert's contract with 'The Colbert' report expires at the end of 2014. To wit, last night saw 'Colbert' appearing in character on 'The Daily Show' to announce his 'Colbert Report' retirement, offhandedly reference "some fat guy" who got Letterman's available seat for next year.

Stewart downplays the significance of Colbert's departure, or the fact that the host was never given a proper best-of montage, given that he only moved around the corner to 11:30 P.M., for which Colbert happily provides his own. Steve Carell puts in an appearance in past footage, though we imagine more direct confrontations to emerge when Colbert begins his real goodbyes to Comedy Central.

Watch the beginning of the Stephen Colbert "character"'s farewell tour on 'The Daily Show' above, and tell us in the comments how you'd like to see the character retire before the real Colbert ascends to the 'Late Show' throne!

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