Stephen Colbert Says Goodbye to The Late Show in Emotional Final Episode

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Stephen Colbert‘s is officially over, and the comedian made sure the series went out with an emotionally satisfying bang. The final episode saw several star-studded cameos and saw Colbert sitting down with the legendary Paul McCartney.

Colbert opened the final show with an emotional and reflective message that saw him looking back on how much he’s enjoyed The series was surprisingly canceled after Colbert’s tenure lasted for ten years and over 1,800 episodes.

“We call [this show] The Joy Machine because to do this many shows it has to be a machine, but the thing is, if you choose to do with joy, it doesn’t hurt as much when your fingers get caught in the gears,” Colbert shared. “And 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.”

Colbert’s Late Show Ends with a Full-Circle Beatles Moment

Colbert also took the time to reflect on , while also speaking about the Ed Sullivan Theater. “The Beatles made their American debut here, and, backstage, Elvis used the bathroom and didn’t die,” he quipped. The comment would later be a clue as to his final guest: The Beatles’ own Paul McCartney.

Before McCartney’s appearance, several other celebrities made cameos where they pretended to be the final guest. appeared asking if he wanted a “surprise celebrity cameo popping out of nowhere,” which Colbert declined, saying “those things always feel kind of forced.”

Ant Man‘s Paul Rudd also began interrupting Colbert, asking about when his interview would start, before Colbert’s friend Tim Meadows joined in on the action. “It’s not you, either, Tim,” Colbert teased, keeping the audience on their toes about whom the final guest would actually be.

Tig Notaro also made an appearance, although she didn’t believe she’d be a guest, noting: “I just like to be at historic events. I was at the Obama inauguration, the moon landing and whatever this is.” also received the rejection that he wasn’t the final guest star, noting that he was there to “pay […] respects to one of the world’s greatest entertainers” before joking that he was talking about Colbert’s keyboardist, Corey Bernhard.

Eventually, Colbert brought out the real guest everyone was waiting for, but not before fueling the rumors that he’d have Pope Leo XIV. Eventually, McCartney walked out onto the stage, joking that he was “in the area” and “doing some errands” before giving Colbert a framed photo of The Beatles playing at the Ed Sullivan Theater all the way back in 1964.

Colbert’s Late Show Finale Takes a Sci-Fi Turn Before Emotional Ending

The show then went to a pre-taped bit that saw Colbert investigating a mysterious green portal that appeared backstage. Neil deGrasse Tyson appropriately explained that it was an “interdimensional wormhole threatening all of late-night TV.” reading a statement from Paramount, joking the company “strongly believes in covering both sides” of the black hole. Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers and John Oliver all appeared with their own advice.

After a commercial break, Colbert’s attempts to get the show back to normal saw him sucked into a black void, where he sang with Jon Batiste, Louis Cato and Elvis Costello. Then came the show’s final musical performance, with McCartney heart-wrenchingly playing The Beatles’ 1967 single ‘Hello, Goodbye’ before the audience, as well as Colbert’s friends and family joined him for one final, beautiful sendoff.

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2026-05-22 11:09