The Late Show Last Episode: Stephen Colbert Ends Show With Paul McCartney

It’s the end of an era for Stephen Colbert. 

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert host bid a final farewell to fans as the CBS talk show aired its last episode ever on May 21.

However, Stephen wasn’t alone for his swansong. Indeed, he welcomed Sir Paul McCartney for his final interview and the pair chatted about The Beatles’ first U.S. performance in the Ed Sullivan Theater, where The Late Show has filmed for 11 years.

Plus, the 62-year-old had Ryan Reynolds, Jon Stewart, Elijah Wood, Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Andy Cohen, Tim Meadows and Tig Notaro perform comedic bits during the episode. 

Meanwhile, fellow Strike Force Five members Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and John Oliver showed up to give him a hilarious and moving send-off.

Which is exactly what Stephen gave his audience during the episode.

“This show has been a joy for us to do for you,” he said. “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.”