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Colbert ends 33-year Late Show era with Beatles legend
Stephen Colbert concluded his 11-season run as host of The Late Show on Thursday, capping a 33-year legacy at New York's Ed Sullivan Theater with a surprise appearance by Sir Paul McCartney.
Final episode surprises fans and crew
CBS announced the show's abrupt cancellation last July, citing financial pressures in late-night television. Colbert, who took over from David Letterman in 2015, opened the finale with a standard monologue, downplaying expectations of a grand farewell.
Speculation swirled over his final guest, with celebrities like Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd, and Ryan Reynolds making cameo appearances-only to be told they hadn't made the cut. Colbert joked about his long-standing wish to interview Pope Leo XIV, but the pontiff "cancelled" after learning his snack demands weren't met, leaving a hot dog to be tossed from a dressing room door.
McCartney reflects on Beatles' US legacy
With the stage cleared, McCartney "happened to be in the area" and joined Colbert for a nostalgic conversation. The Beatles' frontman recalled the band's first US tour, calling America "the land of the free, the greatest democracy" and the birthplace of the rock 'n' roll and blues they idolized.
"Yes, that was what it was. That's what it still is, hopefully."
Sir Paul McCartney
Final bows and fan tributes
The duo closed the show with a performance of Hello, Goodbye, as the crew gathered on stage for a final bow. Backstage, Colbert and McCartney symbolically turned off the studio lights, marking the end of an era.
Outside the theater, fans held signs reading "Thank You Stephen" and "Colbert for President." Sarah Thompson, a longtime viewer, told the BBC the show's cancellation would "leave a big hole in America," adding, "You need to laugh at the end of the day." Wendy Sloan flew eight hours from Amsterdam to attend, saying, "I would have really done anything to be here today."
Colleagues pay tribute amid cancellation controversy
In the days leading up to the finale, stars including Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Bruce Springsteen visited the show. Late-night peers Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver also made appearances. Fallon and Kimmel even paused their own shows on Thursday in solidarity.
Letterman, a vocal critic of CBS's decision, returned for a final segment, reviving his iconic bit of hurling furniture and watermelons off the theater roof. Some speculated the cancellation stemmed from Colbert's sharp criticism of former President Donald Trump, but CBS insisted it was "purely a financial decision."
