Paul McCartney sends off Stephen Colbert as Donald Trump delivers scathing attack on host
A bittersweet but fitting farewell for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, as the celebrated talk show host signed off the final episode with special guests, including Sir Paul McCartney. The programme's historic 33-year run has come to an end, with Donald Trump gloating...
The Late Show’s final CBS broadcast took place last night, ending a 33-year franchise as host Stephen Colbert brought out celebrity guests, including singer Paul McCartney.
Colbert started his show in a business-as-usual way, delivering his opening monologue and reminding audiences how much he will be missed.
"We were lucky enough to be here for the last 11 years," he said. However, his opening segment was interrupted several times by guest star appearances from the likes of Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd and Tim Meadows.
They all pretended to be irked that they weren't the host’s final guest.
“You know what? You got what you deserved," Meadows fumed.
Other stars also briefly showed up for the extended swansong, including Ryan Reynolds, Tig Notaro and Neil deGrasse Tyson. Several of Colbert’s friends also joined him, including comedians Jon Stewart, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, John Oliver and Jimmy Fallon.
“We came to say we're gonna miss you. Late night is not gonna be the same without you,” Kimmel said.
Colbert pretended that Pope Leo XIV was his final guest, but the pontiff apparently refused to come out of his dressing room because he hadn’t been supplied the correct kind of snacks, especially hot dogs.
“We didn't read his whole rider, and we didn't get him his snacks," one of Colbert’s staffers said.
Former Beatle McCartney then came on stage, offering himself as a replacement.
“I think you’d be a perfect last guest,” Colbert said.
McCartney gifted him a signed photo of the Beatles’ first performance at the Ed Sullivan Theatre in 1964. He then delivered a performance with Colbert, Jon Batiste, Louis Cato and Elvis Costello. They first played Costello’s 'Jump Up' and then ended the show with the iconic Beatles song 'Hello, Goodbye'.
Check out the moment below:
Colbert, who was singing along, was joined onstage by his family and the staffers on The Late Show. Colbert and McCartney were then seen standing backstage beside an electrical box and lever labeled “Late Show.” McCartney pulled the lever, in a jab at CBS cancelling the series.
Outside the Ed Sullivan Theater, fans gathered with signs of "Thank You Stephen" and "Colbert for President".
Predictably, Donald Trump revelled in Colbert's exit.
He posted a scathing attack on Colbert on Truth Social: “Colbert is finally finished at CBS. Amazing that he lasted so long! No talent, no ratings, no life. He was like a dead person.”
Charming.
Trump continued: “You could take any person off of the street and they would be better than this total jerk. Thank goodness he’s finally gone!”
The cancellation of the Emmy-winning comedian’s show was announced last July and came days after Colbert criticised the network's parent company, Paramount, over a $16 million settlement with Donald Trump.
Read more about why The Late Show was cancelled here.
Earlier this week, we reported that one of Colbert's final guests, Bruce Springsteen, called the talk show host “the first guy in America who lost his show because we got a president who can’t take a joke”.
“I’m here in support tonight for Stephen, because you are the first guy in America who lost his show because we got a president who can’t take a joke… And because Larry and David Ellison feel they need to kiss his ass to get what they want,” Springsteen said.
“Stephen, these are small-minded people,” he added. “They got no idea what the freedoms of this beautiful country are supposed to be about.”
So long, The Late Show. And thank you, Stephen Colbert.
