Stephen Colbert brought his 11-year tenure on The Late Show to a close on Thursday evening, with Sir Paul McCartney serving as the programme's final guest in a star-studded farewell from New York's Ed Sullivan Theatre.
The 62-year-old comedian's last broadcast concluded with Mr McCartney leading a rendition of the Beatles classic Hello, Goodbye, joined by Mr Colbert, former band leader Jon Batiste, Elvis Costello and the show's entire crew.
The musical finale held particular significance given the venue's history - the same theatre where the Beatles made their legendary American television debut in 1964.
Mr McCartney presented Mr Colbert with a framed photograph of that historic performance as a parting gift before the pair sat down for an extended interview.
Paul McCartney joined Stephen Colbert on his final ever Late Show
|CBS
Before launching into his trademark news-focused monologue, Mr Colbert addressed viewers directly with an emotional tribute to his team.
"We call it the joy machine, because to do this many shows, it has to be a machine. But the thing is, if you choose to do it with joy, it doesn't hurt as much when your fingers get caught in the gears," he said.
"I cannot adequately explain to you what the people who work here have done for each other and how much we mean to each other."
The opening segment was repeatedly interrupted by celebrity cameos, with Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd and Tim Meadows each appearing in the audience and jokingly storming out upon learning they would not be the final guest.
Stephen Colbert's show came to an end on Thursday
|CBS
Ryan Reynolds also featured, later playing tambourine during the broadcast.
Mr McCartney reflected on returning to the theatre where Beatlemania first gripped America, recalling the distinctive orange makeup applied before their television appearances.
"We'd gotten used to a little bit of makeup in England," he told Mr Colbert. "But we went down there, and the girls put makeup on us, and it was like bright orange."
Mr Colbert quipped in response: "That's very popular in certain circles these days."
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Stephen Colbert's gift from Paul McCartney held a touching significance
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The Beatle also mused on his early impressions of the United States as "the land of the free, the greatest democracy," adding: "That's what it still is, hopefully."
The extended finale ran approximately 17 minutes beyond its usual hour-long slot, culminating in Mr McCartney being given the honour of switching off the theatre lights as the show's theme played one final time.
CBS and its parent company Paramount announced the programme's cancellation in July 2025, describing the decision as "purely financial" and citing annual losses of up to $50 million.
However, the timing immediately drew scrutiny, coming just days after Mr Colbert had lambasted Paramount for reaching a $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump over allegations that 60 Minutes had deceptively edited a 2024 interview with Kamala Harris.
Stephen Colbert fans rallied outside the theatre for his final show
|GETTY
Mr Colbert had branded the payment "a big fat bribe" on air.
Fellow late-night presenters rallied around Mr Colbert for his final broadcast, with Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and John Oliver all making appearances alongside longtime collaborator Jon Stewart.
Mr Kimmel and Mr Fallon had previously announced their programmes would air repeats on Thursday evening as a mark of solidarity with their cancelled colleague.
The group, who had formed the Strike Force Five podcast during the 2023 Hollywood writers' strike, reunited on screen to offer Mr Colbert advice in a comedic sketch involving an "interdimensional wormhole" threatening late-night television.
Mr Kimmel referenced his own suspension last September, joking that "one of these holes opened at my show last year, but it went away after about three days."
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and Bravo host Andy Cohen also featured in the extended farewell.
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