Highlights
- Sir Paul McCartney made a surprise appearance on Stephen Colbert’s final episode of The Late Show
- The pair reflected on The Beatles’ early days and the history of the Ed Sullivan Theater
- Hello, Goodbye closed the programme’s 33-year run
- Fans gathered outside the venue as Colbert signed off after 11 seasons
The final guest mystery became part of the goodbye
Stephen Colbert spent much of his last episode pretending it was an ordinary night. There were no emotional speeches at the beginning and no attempt to frame the programme as a farewell event. Instead, the finale leaned into the rhythm viewers had known for years, complete with jokes, surprise appearances and a mystery that carried through the episode.
The biggest question was simple: who would be Colbert’s final guest?
Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd and Ryan Reynolds all appeared in playful cameos, each trying to secure the honour. Each was swiftly dismissed.
Even the Pope became part of the joke
Colbert, a practising Catholic, had often said he wanted Pope Leo XIV as his dream final interview guest. The finale turned that wish into a running gag.
The final guest turned out to be Paul McCartneyGetty Images
As Colbert teased the arrival of a guest from the Vatican, a staff member interrupted to announce that the Pope had refused to leave his dressing room after problems with his backstage requests.
The audience only saw an arm appear briefly from behind a dressing room door before the joke ended and the real surprise arrived.
A Beatle brought the theatre back to its most famous memories
The final guest turned out to be Paul McCartney, a choice that carried more meaning than a typical celebrity booking.
The Ed Sullivan Theater has long been tied to television history, and few moments remain as iconic as The Beatles appearing there during the height of Beatlemania. Sitting in the same venue decades later, McCartney and Colbert reflected on the band’s first trips to America and the excitement surrounding those years.
McCartney spoke about the United States as the place where many of the sounds they admired originated, from rock and roll to blues.
Their conversation then gave way to music.
As staff and crew filled the stage, McCartney and Colbert performed Hello, Goodbye, turning the final moments of the programme into a celebration rather than a farewell.
The curtain fell inside and outside the theatre
Backstage, Colbert and McCartney switched off the lights of The Late Show for the last time.
CBS maintained that ending the programme was a financial decisionGetty Images
Outside the theatre, fans gathered beneath the illuminated marquee carrying signs thanking Colbert and celebrating his run as host. Some had travelled significant distances to witness the final recording.
The finale followed days of visits from friends and supporters, including former host David Letterman, alongside Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Bruce Springsteen and fellow late-night hosts.
CBS maintained that ending the programme was a financial decision. Yet for viewers, the final episode focused less on why it ended and more on where it ended. The show closed in the same theatre where one of music’s biggest stories once unfolded, with one of its stars returning for one last goodbye.
